Conspiracy of circumstances
by Leserei
Summary: Events unfold that challenge Stephanie to dig deep for an internal strength especially when there seems to be a number of people who want to do her harm.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

I so did not want to be here, this was one of my worst nightmares and the way I was wedged into the seat I really couldn't see me lasting that long before I became a blubbering mess. I was on a mission of mercy, well that's how my mother had described it, I'd say she was using me like everyone else seemed to do, she'd pleaded and begged and when that didn't work had harassed me and threatened me, and it had nothing to do with her providing me with cake. In the end I'd relented, I mean what else was I supposed to do. So here I was trying hard to find a comfortable position, I couldn't sit back or even hold onto the armrests so tried to lay my head down on my knees, but even that wouldn't work because the seat in front of me seemed to be too far back. How the hell was I going to survive this? A single tear ran down my cheek and I then I became aware of a hand on my back, turning I saw the smiling face of one of the cabin crew, decked out in her uniform as she was carrying out the pre flight checks.

"Are you okay luv?"  
I shook my head and looked to each of my sides.

"I can't even sit properly on the seat let alone sit back and as for leg room, well that seat seems to have collapsed into it"  
"I see what you mean, I have an idea so let me go check on something"  
I tried to see where she was going but no way could I do that, how the hell had I ended up in a seat in the middle of a Sumo wrestling team? Well I knew how, it was the last seat available on the flight, so I took it thinking what could be so bad. At that moment the woman caught my attention so I looked up hoping maybe she could do something but what I really wasn't too sure.

"Come with me luv, I've found you a better seat"  
I loved her English accent and she was certainly the stereo typical crew, makeup that was immaculate if not a bit excessive, hair swept back under her hat and the smart white shirt peeking from underneath a dark blue jacket with the blue and red scarf around her neck. I literally had to climb onto my seat and using the headrests on either side climbed over the body of the man next to me to land rather inelegantly in the aisle. As soon as I had moved the two men on either side of the now vacant seat seemed to expand across it, did sumo wrestlers have muscles because there seemed to be a hell of a lot of fat rolling under and over the armrests. I followed the young woman as she walked through a curtained off area, through the area where I suppose they prepared meals and on through into the next section of seating. Holy shit could the plane be any longer, how the hell did it stay up in the air when it was so big? We carried on walking through more sections until I was sure I would end up with the pilot at the front and then she turned and pointed to a closed off section that had an empty seat.

"Last one available and no one minds considering where you were, read the documents on safety then after we take off you can get yourself comfortable"

Wow, that was all I could think, I had my own little area with curved plastic walls to give me privacy and I could even move the cushions and seat to provide me with a bed to sleep on. I dreaded to think how much this would normally cost.

"Thank you so much for doing this"  
"My pleasure luv, I work down at the other end of the plane but Jenny's up here, she'll take care of you"

I made myself comfortable and buckled my belt feeling safe and protected in my own little cocoon. I was brought a menu and the choice of drinks but decided to stay with juice, no way was I drinking alcohol, once I started I'd probably never stop, and I wanted to find my Grandmother and be on the soonest flight back home. Yeah the emergency that had my mother in such a panic was a note from my Grandmother to say she was going away for a while. While that in itself wasn't unusual there was as always with my Grandmother a whole story behind it, so as I braced myself for takeoff I tried to work out just where the story had begun.

Chapter 1

My name is Stephanie Plum and I work as a bounty hunter for my cousin Vinnie, I was pale skinned, blue eyed with brunette curls, a single girl in her early thirties who lived on her own in an apartment mainly inhabited by seniors. Whilst I was brilliant at my job I always got the skips in the end by one means or another. It was a bright sunny morning when I woke up and to be honest I was feeling quite good with myself, I'd promised myself that with summer coming up it was time to get this girl ready for summer clothes. Over the winter I'd been so used to jeans and baggy sweaters I hadn't realized just how many inches had accumulated on my waist and hips. For the past three weeks I'd reduced my eating of cake and doughnuts, okay I didn't stop completely, and had also swapped out all the greasy take out food for smoothies and fruit, it was easier when I had to work at Rangeman and Ella had come to my aid, finding alternatives that were just as tasty without the calories, and no I wasn't becoming a rabbit and living on leaves. No more sugar instead I used sweeteners and because they tasted funny I was getting used to coffee with only milk in it. Seeing how serious I was Ella had even prepared me some dishes to take home and put in the freezer.

Having showered and dried my hair I pulled it back in a ponytail and looked in the mirror, my skin seemed clearer and my hair was shiny and as I turned around I'm sure my ass was smaller, especially in the denim cut offs I was wearing. A T-shirt hugged my waist and I felt I had reason to be proud of how I'd been doing. Car keys and bag in hand I took the stairs down and came out of the back door then walked over to my car. I was even pleased that the car was still going, maybe a record as far as cars went with me. It started first time and I was soon looking for a place outside of the Bonds Office and quickly pulled in as another car pulled out. Yeah today felt like a good day as I locked the car and headed inside, maybe I'd have some skips today, my bank account certainly needed it.

"Morning Connie"  
"Steph, you seem happy this morning"  
"Yeah well today is going to be a good day, I can feel it"  
"Well there are two files for you, not big pay outs but that's all there is"  
I picked up the files and sat down on the couch to start looking through them, surprised to see they were both new to me and new to the system which was probably why they were both low bonds. I recognized one of them, Martin Hopster, he was in the year above me at school and his parents lived in the Burg. He'd obviously got his own place now but seemed just as crazy as he had been at school.

"Why try and steal a rare vase from the museum?"

"Maybe he thought he could sell it for a lot of money"  
"More likely one of his friends dared him to do it"  
"You know him?"  
"Yeah he was the joker and prankster of his year"  
The door banged open and in walked Lula looking hot and bothered so she helped herself to a bottle of water from the fridge and fell back onto the couch.

"You okay Lula?"  
"No I aint, I'm hot and tired"  
I looked at what she was wearing, a bright yellow stretchy top and skin tight black trousers and decided maybe her choice of clothing had something to do with that.

"Lula dressing in long trousers and long sleeves made from lycra won't help"  
"I aint got nothing else that fits, we're not all skinny like you white girl"  
"Well I'm heading out, you coming Lula?"  
"Only if we take my car, yours aint got no air conditioning"  
"I could open the windows"  
"Yeah right"  
Connie was smiling as we left the office and I looked up and down the street for Lula's Firebird.

"Where are you parked Lula?"  
"Down the block, that's why I'm all hot an bothered, I had to walk miles"  
It wasn't miles but Lula certainly wasn't doing that well, in fact she was out of breath and sweaty when we eventually got there, maybe this whole new diet had more effects than just losing a few inches because I actually felt fine as we reached the car. Once in she turned on the engine and cranked the ac to cold.

"Why aren't you out of breath, usually you're as bad as me?"  
"I think it's because I'm trying to eat better and lose a few pounds"  
"You saying I'm fat"  
Shit how did I manage to get out of this?  
"No, you're the same, it's me that's changed"  
"Too right, I'm still this big beautiful figure of a woman I always was"

As I looked across at Lula I almost grimaced at how tight her top was holding the girls in, I just hoped we didn't come across a situation where we had to run after the skip because I really didn't think the latex would survive.  
"Okay we need to head down to Watson Street, apartment 7 at number 65"  
"Who we after?"

"Martin Hopster, aged 33, tried to steal a vase from the museum"  
"That was a stupid idea"  
"Yeah I know"

Lula managed to park outside the large house that had obviously been converted into apartments and as we got out I looked up to the top floor.

"You think it's at the top?"  
"Probably"  
"Well I'll stay here in case he gets past you"  
"Lula what about helping to catch him?"  
"You'll do fine"

Brilliant, I sometimes wondered why the hell I let her come along with me because she certainly wouldn't be helping me out. As I reached the main door a young woman came out so I ran past her and caught it before it closed and then started up the stairs. Yeah it was at the top of the building but although I was out of breath I didn't feel a stitch in my side, no way would Lula have managed. The apartment was the only one on the floor and was in the eaves of the building, I wondered if there was a fire escape. I messaged Lula to go round the back and keep watch in case Hopster decided to try and escape and then knocked loudly on the door.

"Who is it?"  
"Hi Martin it's me"  
"Who the hell is me?"  
I heard a key turning in the door and then saw Hopster as it opened. Holy shit he looked different, he must have doubled his weight since school, his stomach hung over his trousers and his T-shirt was bunched up over the obscene mound of fat, even his face and neck had rolls hanging from them.

"Hi Martin, I represent your bail bonds office, Vincent Plum, and am here to help you reschedule your court date"

I saw him looking me up and down and then his eyes stopped at my face.  
"I recognize you"

"Yeah I was in the year below you at school"  
"You're that Plum chic aren't you?"  
"Err, yes"  
"I always remember those poems Morelli wrote about you"

A podgy hand came out through the open door and he grabbed my arm below my shoulder and dragged me into the room, then he kicked at the door so it slammed shut behind me. I was so surprised at what had happened I didn't get a chance to avoid it.

"I always fancied having a go with you in person, I still yank off reading what he wrote"  
Oh shit, now what, the room I was in was cluttered with boxes and dirty dishes with nowhere to go. I backed away until I felt a wall at my back, a couch at my side, and was desperately trying to find my stun gun in my bag. My heart was beating fast and I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. As my hand went around the stun gun it I heard the sound of my phone, looking up at Hospster and I raised my hand as if to stop him and would you believe he just stood still for me.

"I need to get this it might be important"  
I pulled the phone out and answered it watching Hopster all the time, he was still stood there watching me.

"What's taking you so long?"  
"Maybe because I have a problem"  
"One where you need me?"  
"Yes"  
The phone went dead and as I put it away I could now see Hopster coming closer, so I took hold of the stun gun and held it just inside my bag ready to use it.

"Martin you need to back off"  
"That's what they all say"  
"Martin I warn you"  
"What, that you're as good as Morelli said you were?"  
As he came within reaching distance I stepped forward and pulled the stun gun from my bag and touched it to his bare arm.

"Hey that tingles"  
Everything happened at once, I tried to duck to the side, he lunged at me and Lula arrived, the result, well lets just say I couldn't have made it up if I'd tried. As Lula threw herself at Hopster she stunned him and he fell on top of me unconscious and as he fell Lula fell and somehow my stun gun caught her on the arm. I was well and truly flattened on the floor between the wall and the couch and was quickly losing the ability to breathe.

Did I lose consciousness, yes but the sound of laughing had me moaning, well as much as I could, having had the wind knocked out of me and being steadily squashed by both Hopster and Lula, I was really struggling to breathe. I felt the weight easing from my chest and that allowed me to try and take in a breath of air.

"Shit Beautiful, are you okay. Come on Beautiful open your eyes for me"  
I felt someone feeling around my ribs and suddenly panicked thinking Hopster had maybe come round. Opening my eyes I saw Bobby looking down at me, smiling when he realized I was looking up at him.

"No damage, but maybe a bit of bruising"  
I felt myself being lifted, being seated on the couch, I looked around me to see Lester and Bobby cuffing Hopster who seemed to be coming around, with Lula looking on, was she annoyed or anxious, I wasn't sure if she realized exactly what had happened, I turned to Bobby suddenly wondering why he was here.

"How come you're here?"  
"Lula called Tank saying she thought she'd killed you"  
"Not yet she hasn't"  
"He the FTA you were after?"  
I looked over to see Hopster cuffed and shackled lying on his stomach.

"Yeah, he thought he could assault me. Thanks Lula for saving the day"

Lula just acknowledged me with a shrug of her shoulders, I think she really was worried that it was because of her that I'd almost been hurt.

"Can you get up Steph?"  
"Yeah, thanks for coming so quickly"  
"Hell Beautiful even I thought you were a goner when we got here, he weighs a ton"

I watched as Bobby and Lester pulled Hopster roughly to his feet and took him downstairs, I can't say they were gentle with him and to be honest that didn't bother me. They put him in the back of their SUV, probably because he may not have fit in the Firebird and I really didn't want the job of taking him out from the back of it. I followed them down holding onto the rail, I still felt a little shaky.

"I'll be off then, see you tomorrow"  
With that Lula was gone, she dashed in the direction of her Firebird and drove away, so I climbed in to the front of the SUV and let Bobby sit with Hopster.

"Where'd she go Beautiful?"  
"She hates going anywhere near the station"  
"So she'd just leave you?"  
"Yeah"

I didn't want to talk in the car, my emotions were all over the place and not because of Lula. What Hopster had said to me was rolling around in my head and the fact that Morelli's writing was still there for people to see both annoyed and upset me.

Once we arrived Lester took Hopster in to the station with me following behind, he cuffed him to the bench while I presented the paperwork, it didn't take long to process and once I had my receipt we were walking back outside again heading toward the car.

"Cupcake"  
For some reason I felt my temper rise, go figure, it was all his fault that Hopster had tried to attack me, how was it that there were people who could still read what he'd written after that horrendous event at the Tasty Pastry. I turned toward him; my arms folded across my chest and faced Joe. He could obviously tell that I was annoyed about something.

"What's got into you?"  
"Stop calling me that"  
"Why, it suits you"

"I've just been attacked because of those poems you wrote"  
"Hell that was years ago"  
"They're still there, Joe, and people read them even now"  
"Well you are sweet to eat and juicy in the middle"  
I don't what got into me, except maybe I was so angry with him, but my hand came out and I slapped him hard across the face. His hand came up to his face and he backed away a step but I could tell he was getting angry.

"If you don't get rid of every bit of that graffiti from around Trenton then I'll go to the chief and make a formal complaint"  
"Cup, Steph, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you'd be so upset, hell they've been there for years, but I'll sort it out and get them covered over"  
I turned and headed back to the SUV noticing both Lester and Bobby giving me strange looks, but neither one of them wanting to say anything. We rode in silence back to the Bonds Office and they dropped me off so I could pick up my car and then they followed me home, that was where I felt I needed to be, as I parked the car and got out Lester came over to me.

"You okay Beautiful?"  
"Just peachy"  
"Steph if you need to talk just call okay?"  
"Okay, thanks for the help"

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek and then turned and walked into the building, but used the lift this time, I was so angry I could feel tears coming to my eyes, shit why did that have to happen? Once the door to the apartment closed behind me I sank to the floor, tears running down my cheeks. Was it because of Hopster attacking me, him referring to those poems, maybe but I think the whole episode had me trying to work out why the hell I'd allowed myself to get so close to Morelli. Had he changed over the years? Maybe he was more subtle than he used to be and yes he could be loving and caring, when it suited him to be, but what was it we had together, what was our relationship based on and was it what I really wanted? We were on one of our famous off phases at the moment and I needed to really work out why that was and how to get him out of my system.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I'd gone from feeling really good this morning to feeling like shit this afternoon and when I tried to analyze the reason it all came back to Joe. The night we were last together was imprinted on my brain, he'd invited me over to his place saying he would pick up a take out on his way home. I suppose you could say we were together, I mean he would spend the evening at my place and I would go to his house but to me it felt like there was no emotion between us it was almost as if we were staying together rather than being alone. I'd spent the day working at Rangeman and as soon as he saw me in the uniform I knew he was going to give me a hard time.

"Why are you dressed like that?"  
"Been working at Rangeman today, I didn't think you'd be late back so came straight here from work"  
"I hate that you work there"  
"Why?"  
"Why, because I do"  
"Joe you're not making sense"  
"You need a proper job"  
"I have a proper job"  
"No you don't, one that keeps you out of trouble"  
"I haven't had any trouble"  
"Well then one that keeps you away from those thugs"

"They are not thugs"

"Yeah right"

"How can you say that when Ranger helps you out so often?"  
"Only when it suits his purpose"  
"His purpose?"  
"Yeah to have you running to him"  
"That's not true"  
"So stop working there"

"No I won't"  
"If he lays a hand on you, you'll both regret it"  
"You threatening me Joe?"  
"No, I want you to stop associating with Rangeman"  
"Like you stop associating with Terry and what was her name, oh yeah, Gina?"  
"That was when we were on an off phase"

Well at least he didn't deny it, but no way was he telling me what I could or could not do.

"I won't do it Joe, I won't let you dictate how I lead my life"  
I knew we were shouting and we were both getting increasingly annoyed with each other, I'd stopped at the time asking myself why we were arguing and that's when it occurred to me, I just didn't love him enough and from the way he was constantly trying to run my life I was sure he didn't love me for who I was, hell if Ranger had asked me to stop doing something I would have really considered doing it, but then Ranger never tried to dictate to me what I should do, but Joe, he did it all the time. At that moment I really couldn't see a future for us, a future where two people care and love each other so much they would do anything for the other.

My temper frizzled out and the next words that I spoke were quiet.

"I'm sorry Joe, but if we can't trust each other and really care for each other and how they feel then maybe we should finish for good"  
As I'd walked toward the door he'd grabbed me by the arm, hurting me as he turned me to face him.

"I won't let you walk out of that door"  
"I'm sorry Joe, but we have no where else to go"  
It was the first time I was afraid he might hit me, his face was red and the vein in his neck was throbbing, his other hand making a fist. He didn't actually hit me but he did throw me against the door causing me to fall onto my knees. I got back up and without turning around opened the door to leave.

"I won't let you leave me Cupcake"  
That had been three weeks ago and to be honest I didn't miss him, I didn't miss his petty arguments or his selfish behavior. Maybe I missed the sex, but that wasn't what made a relationship, it was everything else in between and I wasn't sure that I trusted him anymore not to hurt me. He'd tried to call at the apartment, but I wouldn't answer the door, then he started sending text messages so I blocked his number, then he started to show up at places I often went. Maybe that coincided with my new diet, avoiding the take out restaurants and the places that sold doughnuts and cakes. Today had been the first time I'd seen or heard from him in over a week and the whole business at the Tasty Pastry so many years ago had hit me like a ton of bricks. Did he think he owned me because of it?

The following morning I felt in a really somber mood, Mary Lou was away with her family so I didn't have her to talk to and that somehow made me realize that whilst I knew a lot of people she was the only one I would ever talk with. With a mug of coffee in my hand and still dressed in my sleepwear I sat down at the old dining table and took out the other file Connie had given to me. The photo showed a man in his thirties, small and thin with a mop of black hair. He'd been picked up for stealing a car and when the police had checked they couldn't verify if he even had a license, how strange was that, I mean everyone got their license as soon as they could, didn't they? The address he gave the police was an apartment over a grocery store down on Deklyn Avenue, not the best part of town, but at least it wasn't Stark Street. There wasn't a lot more information to be had, this was his first offence and his uncle, Dario Collins had bailed him out. His name was Gavin Collins so my assumption was that the uncle was his father's brother, I wondered how pleased he'd been with his nephew's run in with the law. The occupation he gave was shop manager so I wondered if the shop was the one under the apartment. I went into the shower and scrubbed, buffed and moisturized and then finger combed leave in conditioner into my hair. Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt I collected my things and went down to my car. I didn't turn on the engine, instead I just sat trying to think about what my plan of action was going to be, today I really just wanted to maybe do surveillance on his apartment and get the lay of the land and maybe some of his routines, so the idea of taking Lula wasn't worth it, she hated doing surveillance, probably more than me and after yesterday maybe I just needed some quiet time to myself. I headed for Deklyn Avenue and parked down the road from the store, got out my binoculars, and started to watch the comings and goings in and out of the store. The street was mainly residential with evidence of people trying to maintain their houses, tidy gardens and painted wood. It was a popular store considering where it was but my spidey senses were telling me something wasn't quite right, I mean why would someone go into a store and come out empty handed? Plus the numbers who were men was far more than women; yeah something was definitely not right here. The next dilemma was whether I went into the shop, I hadn't seen a sign of Gavin yet, but maybe the apartment had an entrance straight down on the inside or maybe at the back. I wanted to go inside myself and see what was going on. SoI waited until a group of women had gone in and then grabbing my bag opened the door only to have Joe push me back in and then push me across into the passenger seat. To say I was annoyed was an understatement and I stared at him as he sat looking out of the window.

"What the hell are you doing Joe?"  
"Talking with you"  
"I don't think so, get out Joe"  
"What you doing here anyway?"  
"Trying to find a skip. What are you doing here?"  
"Following up a lead"  
"Where?"  
"What do you mean where?"  
"Where is your lead Joe?"  
"Across in that shop"  
"Great, just great"  
"When I get out of this car I want you to drive away"  
"Why should I?"  
"Because in two minutes we're going to do a raid and I would hate for you to be taken in just because you're here"

Shit I couldn't really argue with that, I mean I certainly didn't want to get caught in the middle of a raid.  
"Oh, okay, but if you see my skip he's mine, okay?"  
"Who is it?"  
"Gavin Collins"  
"Okay if he's there and is taken in I'll get a receipt for you"  
"Thank you"

"Can we please meet later and have a talk?"  
"No Joe, I said what I needed to say"  
He looked over at me when I said that and I could tell he was still annoyed at me, he got out of the car, slamming the car door shut. I moved back into the drivers seat and starting the engine drove slowly down the street away from the store, strange I didn't see any police cars hovering around, I was almost tempted to turn around and go back but decided I really didn't want another run in with Morelli. From Deklyn Avenue I turned onto Chestnut Avenue and realized I was low on gas so turned into a gas station dreading the idea of how much it would cost to fill up the tank. Once full I walked in to pay and realized I was stood behind Gavin Collins, okay that was a lucky break. There were two people serving at the check out so I went up to the second window and for once managed to get through the process of paying quite quickly. I made sure to keep an eye on Collins, I noticed as he left and then I watched him get into the passenger side of a blue Honda, well at least he wasn't driving. I looked to see which way they went so I once I was out of the station I turned onto the street following the direction they'd taken. I expected them to head back to Deklyn Avenue and was surprised when they went across the main road and headed down toward the river. There weren't as many cars down here so I fell back and caught a view of them turning along the road by the river, past the sewer works and then they took a right into a parking area in front of a warehouse. I wasn't too sure what was down here, apart from old warehouses but kept on driving past the entrance to where they had gone then turned right into the next area and found myself outside of a yacht club. I put my phone in my pocket and my cuffs into the back of my jeans and left the car in the car park between others so it didn't stand out, yeah right, both cars were brand new SUVs, and then cut through the undergrowth between the yacht club and the warehouse heading for the place Collins had gone. As I ducked down to take a look around I realized how run down the building was, obviously not a building that was used regularly. There wasn't anyone around that I could see although I could see their car from where I was I had a strange feeling maybe someone else might be here, but hey it wouldn't harm to take a look around and maybe I could still get a lead on where I could pick up Collins. Ensuring the coast was clear I walked across the tarmac to the side of the building and quietly opened a door that led into a long corridor, so I walked keeping to the wall, listening for any noise or signs of people. At the end of the corridor I had two choices, up the stairs or in through another door. I didn't fancy the idea of the door, I could end up walking into the men or get stuck in there so I walked up the concrete steps and came out on an area that overlooked a large warehouse area below. On my hands and knees I crawled to the edge and looked down through the metal rails. The area below me was quite big but it was the number of wooden crates sat around on the floor that had my attention to start with, what the hell were they up to?

Well there was Collins and another man, stood shoulder to shoulder but stood in front of them were three hooded figures all armed to the teeth. They had on bright red tops with baggy jeans but I couldn't make out any of their faces, I listened real carefully to the conversation going on, I mean I did want to know what they were up to, but at the same time I was thinking that maybe being her was not the best place to be. I watched as one of the hooded figures stepped toward Collins and an older man. He seemed quite young and I caught sight of tattoos on his arms and round his neck, obviously one of the local gangs was the paid help but I had no idea which and remembering my experience with gang members felt a shiver go down my spine.

"The merchandise is here so we wants our money"  
"When we get our money then you'll get your cut"  
"That weren't the deal, we brought it in like you asked, no one suspected the boats coming up river"  
"Let me check out the merchandise"

It was Collins who seemed to be doing all of the talking so I wondered if he was actually in charge. I watched as Collins picked up a crowbar and levered the top off a crate, there was a loud cracking sound as the top gave way and as the lid came open I was able to see what was inside, oh shit, the box had a neat row of machine guns.  
"Where's the ammo?"  
"The crate underneath"  
"The launchers?"  
"Over there"  
He pointed to another crate so Collins did the same to remove the lid. Sheesh, they looked brand new, what the hell was he going to do with this lot. As Collins inspected the contents of the crate the hooded man was obviously getting restless, again he got into Collin's face, arms crossed over his chest.

"When's the buyer gonna be here?"  
"Not sure, I need to wait for his call"  
"That's okay, me and my friends have got all day to wait"  
The deal going down here was way bigger than me finding Collins, hell what I got for him would just about pay for the tank full of gas I'd got. There was nothing I could do here without maybe getting myself hurt so went through what options I had. No I needed to somehow get a message to the police so they'd know what was happening here. I slid back carefully knowing any sound I might make would echo around down there and then really carefully made my way down the stairs sitting on a step half way down. I took out my phone and called 911, then went through the whole process of being rerouted to an actual person.

"There's an arms deal going down at the warehouse just before the yacht club on Lamberton Road"  
I finished the call and had slipped the phone in my pocket, deciding that maybe outside would be a better place to wait and started to make my way down the rest of the steps and turned straight into one of the hooded men. I don't know who was the most surprised but at least I recovered fast.

"Sorry I was supposed to meet my boyfriend at the yacht club, I must have got the wrong building"

As I went to walk past him he grabbed hold of my arm.

"Not so fast. Gavin we got company"  
Shit this was bad, but maybe the police were on their way. He turned me quickly and had an arm around my neck and it was then I saw the gun in his hand being pushed into my side. The door in front of us slammed open and Gavin Collins and one of the other hooded men walked into the corridor. I honestly didn't know what to do, I mean there was no way I could break lose of his hold and watched as Collins came through the door, he looked me up and down and then spoke to the man holding me.

"Who the hell's she?"  
"Don't know, caught her down here"  
"Bring her through to the warehouse"  
I tried to resist being moved but he just about lifted me up by my neck, I had no idea what to do or what to say and for once in my life I was quiet, unless you counted the sound of my heart which beating so loud. Once inside the main section of the warehouse I had everyone stood looking at me.

"Check her pockets"  
Another hooded man came right up to me sliding his hands over my hips; he looked at my face and smiled, the bastard was enjoying it and then he pulled out my phone and keys. Thank god I'd left my bag in the car with my file but the smart ass hadn't found the cuffs stuffed down the back of my jeans and at the moment didn't have a clue as to who I was. He dropped the phone onto the ground and stomped on it with his heel, all the time looking at me with a malevolent grin across his face. I stood my ground, well as much as I could and looked around at each man stood around.

"What do you want doing with her?"

He was addressing the older man, who wasn't dressed like the others, while they wore jeans and hoodies he was in a suit. Weird really but the dark of the suit made the white of his face and hair seem whiter, and all this while I waited for him to give an answer.  
"Get rid of her"  
"Oh no mate, you aint paid me for transporting this lot, I aint killing her for free"  
Killing me, getting rid of me, were they serious? Okay it was time to get creative.

"Pass her to Gavin and you three go to the dock and keep an eye open, the boats should be here soon, then we can dump her in the river"  
Collins grabbed me by my ponytail and I watched as the three hooded men disappeared through a door at the back of the warehouse, if I was going to do something then it had to be now. I relaxed my head back so that Collins's grip on my hair might loosen and then brought round my elbow into his gut, ducking and running at the same time, weaving my way through the crates. I heard gunfire behind me and ducked behind a crate, seeing I was next to the rocket launchers, ah shit I needed to move from here before the whole place went up. I was desperately looking round for a way out and saw the crowbar that Collins had left by the box, I carefully picked it up and threw it across the room and then ran in the opposite direction just as there was more gunfire followed by an enormous oomph. What the hell just happened, what on earth had they hit? I didn't have time to even think about where to go next as I felt myself being lifted off the ground but was surprised when I didn't seem to have the hard landing I feared. As I caught my breath and rolled over falling onto the floor I looked at where I had landed, no wonder I hadn't hurt myself because underneath me was the other man, the one in the suit who'd been with Collins and lucky for me he was out cold. I quickly found my cuffs and slipped one onto a wrist and then moved it so it was wrapped around a pipe coming from the ground, making sure he was securely fastened. I stayed real still which was really hard for me to do, my heart was going ten to the dozen, I honestly thought the cavalry would be coming any time soon, I was waiting for any sign of movement, and moved to crouch behind another crate. It was eerily quiet and there was no sign of the three hooded men, I felt certain the noise would have brought them in. On my hands and knees I crawled around and behind another crate and there in front of me was the crowbar, so I decided it was better than nothing. I could hear the faint sound of steps approaching and saw first a gun then an arm come past the crate, so using as much force as I could I raised the crowbar and brought it down on his arm. His scream pierced through the building and at that moment doors I hadn't even noticed before burst open with men in black carrying assault weapons, but not my men in black, these had SWAT written across the vests they were wearing.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I was led out of that warehouse into a waiting black SUV and then transported to who knows where, all the time two men sat in the back with me. No one had spoken a word to me; they hadn't asked who I was or even if I was hurt. Did they think I had something to do with what happened in the warehouse, were they going to arrest me? We didn't travel very far and I knew we were still in Trenton, I think I recognized the underground garage we went into, yeah maybe this was where I once went nuts with that dam knife and once in the lift I had a pretty good idea of where I was, the FBI building, but now it was packed with men moving around from office to office. I still had my escort of the two men from the back of the SUV and they literally frog marched me into a small office and then left me on my own. I sat down at the desk trying hard not to hyperventilate, shit, I tried to do the right thing and look where that got me. I looked up as an older man walked in, file in hand and watched as he sat down in front of me.

"Miss Plum, I assume it was you who called it in?"  
"Yes"  
"Why were you there?"  
"Gavin Collins, he's my FTA"  
"And the other man you cuffed?"  
"No idea, but it seemed like a good idea at the time"  
I spent nearly three hours there, different men would come in and ask the same questions over and over again until I felt like I was going to go mad. When the door opened again I was ready to have a go at them for keeping me here so long. I couldn't believe it when Tank walked in followed by Lester; I threw myself at Tank, much to his embarrassment, and then sank against Lester.

"Home Beautiful?"  
"I can go?"  
"You sure can"  
"Why are you here?"  
"To verify who you are and that you work for Rangeman"  
"Oh, I didn't think of that, my bag's still in my car, back at the yacht club"  
"It's at Rangeman now"  
"Do I get my receipt for Gavin Collins?"  
"You sure do"

I felt so relieved to be leaving the place and was so thankful that Tank and Lester were here, how they ended up there I didn't know and really I didn't care, I was too happy just to be walking out of there.

Once back in the garage at Rangeman I went up to five to get my bag, I passed Ranger's office, seeing that the door was still closed, he'd been away for a month now but I had to try really hard not to let my disappointment show. He'd come by my apartment the morning he'd had to leave, I knew what he was going to say just from the look on his face.

"You're going away aren't you?"  
"Yes, how did you know?"  
"I could see it in your face"  
He'd half smiled at that comment which when I thought about it later was a strange reaction for him.

"Babe I'm not sure how long I'll be away for"  
"You'll be careful won't you"  
"Yes, I have every intention of coming back in one piece"  
"Is it dangerous where you're going?"  
"There are dangerous people there"  
He'd walked up to me as I lent against the kitchen bar and pushed himself against me, as his leg moved between mine, his hands held my head and his lips came down onto mine. The kiss was hot and passionate sending waves down through my body but all too soon he pulled away leaving his forehead pressed against mine.

"Babe, I'll be back before you know it"  
"Please be careful"  
"I will, and I'll find you when I get back, be careful and ask Tank for help if you need it"  
I know I had tears in my eyes but I couldn't stop them, what if he never came back, what would I do without him around?

"Don't get shot"

"Don't go crazy"

And then he was gone leaving me to pick up the pieces as my emotions swirled inside of me. I missed him not being around, missed him not being a phone call away or turning up when I was in trouble. But most of all I missed the kisses and hugs and yes when he would take me to his apartment and continue to ruin me for all other men. I shook my head at those thoughts because what we had was a strong friendship, something I didn't want to lose by being demanding of him. He'd told me he didn't do relationships but the deeper I got with him and Rangeman the stronger my feelings seemed to go. All the things I'd accused Morelli of not being? Well I felt I had that with Ranger, but I needed to keep those feelings inside of me because at the moment I didn't want to scare him away.

"Deep thoughts Beautiful"  
I jumped as Lester put his arm around my shoulder.

"Sorry just thinking about what happened today"  
"You ready for home?"  
"Definitely"

The next two days went really slowly, there were no new files to pick up and Lula was annoyed at me because I hadn't taken her with me the day before, probably she was annoyed because she didn't get the chance to shoot anyone. I spent the first day around the apartment, cleaning and washing so felt that at least I'd got a job done that I normally didn't have time to do. Rex had a clean home with a new can and I even managed to sort out the food in the fridge getting rid of anything that was going off. The second day Lula was talking to me again so we went to the Mall, not that I could afford to buy anything but Lula was insistent her clothes had shrunk in the wash so needed to replace them. By the third day I thought I was going to go nuts with nothing to do so headed out in the hope that some new files had come in, but as I was on my way to the Bonds Office my phone went off so pulling over answered it to hear my mother.

"You have to come home Stephanie"

"Why Mum?"  
"It's an emergency, something's happened to your Grandmother"

I peeled back into traffic and made my way to the Burg, I was wondering what on earth she could have done now, probably not a lot, because it didn't take much for my mother to start to panic. I was surprised when my mother was stood at the door waiting for me and followed her through to the kitchen watching as she poured out two mugs of coffee and opened a tin full of cookies. That meant she thought this was bad, I mean she hadn't even said anything yet, but from the look on her face and the way she was behaving I slowly began to get nervous about what she was about to say.

"She's gone"  
"Do you know where?"  
"No, only that she was headed for the airport"  
"So what did she say?"

"Left a note, saying she was taking a vacation"  
"So why are you so worried?"  
"Stephanie I've had the police here looking for her"  
"What did they want?"  
"To know where she was"  
"Did they say why"  
"I don't know how I'll ever survive this"  
"Mum!"

"They want to question her about a murder"  
Now most people would just laugh that off but with my Grandmother anything was possible, the fact that she often carried a gun in her handbag meant that she really could have shot someone.

"Mum who did you speak with?"  
"Joseph came round to give us a chance to get her to turn herself in"  
"Did he say who she might have killed?"

"Not a name, but someone who had been at the center, you know one of those men trying to sell insurance or something"  
"So how did he say she killed him?"  
"Shot him, called him all sorts of names and accused him of trying to con the old folk out of their savings"  
"I know she doesn't like people like that"  
"But she can't just shoot them. You have to do something Stephanie"  
"You want me to talk with the police?"  
"No, you have to find her and bring her back"  
"How am I supposed to do that?"  
"Go to the airport and follow her and bring her back home"

"Does she have her phone with her?"  
"No she left it in her bedroom"

"Shit"  
"Stephanie"  
"Mum I don't have the money to do this, she could have gone anywhere"  
"Yes you do, I transferred $100,000 into your account"  
"You did what?"  
"I transferred money into your account"  
"Where the hell did you get that from?"  
"I, err, cashed in some life assurance policies"  
"But"  
"Stephanie you have to find her, please"  
I closed my mouth, because that was the first time she had ever said please to me.

"Don't you love her?"  
"Mum, of course I do"  
"Then what's the problem?"

"I, I don't know"  
"You say you're good at your job don't you?"  
"Well yes"  
"So go find your Grandmother and bring her home, it's your duty as family"

What the hell could I say to that? That really if she had shot someone keep going? Maybe but that wasn't the way to go.

"Mum has she got money?"  
"Yes she emptied everything from her savings account and took her passport"  
"I'm gonna need proof as to who she is to me or someone will think I'm kidnapping her"  
I watched as my mother went through to the lounge and returned with an envelope, hell she was so sure I'd go and had everything organized.

"There are copies of your Grandmother's birth certificate, mine and yours, a copy of my passport and photos of us, oh and there's a letter confirming she has dementia"  
"Does she?"  
"Well she duped that test at the doctors to come back positive thinking she'd get more pension"  
Okay I did not know about that, and neither did I think any test would change your pension, I sighed as I took the envelope and stood up.

"Your father will pick you up in an hour to take you to the airport"  
I didn't say anything as I walked from the kitchen and then the house, my head was going round in circles with what my mother had said, normally I would have called Morelli to confirm but seeing as I wasn't talking to him I didn't think that was a good idea. I went through in my head a list of things I would need to pack but then decided that I would only maybe need a bag to take into the cabin, hopefully it wouldn't take long to find her, but I had a horrible feeling niggling at the back of my head. Once home I packed essentials into a carry on bag and looked around the apartment, one last thing to do was let people know I would be out of town, most understood the antics of my Grandmother, I just hoped I wouldn't be away for more than a couple of days. I sent a message to Connie, Lula, Mary Lou because she would be back soon and then one to Tank and Lester so they wouldn't worry if I seemed to be missing, I so dearly wanted to send one to Ranger but knew it could be weeks before he came home. That done I picked up my bag and Rex's tank going downstairs to wait for my father. I just hoped that Val and the girls were prepared to have him, they had in the past and as it was me chasing after Grandma it was the least she could do to help out.

As I waited sat on the steps at the back of the building I inwardly groaned when I saw Morelli's car pull in and park, just as I had decided not to talk with him he has to turn up.

"Hi, are you going to find your Grandmother?"  
"Yeah, not much choice really"  
"The thing is we don't know for sure if it was her or not"  
"So you'll sort that out while I'm away?"  
"Of course, do you have your phone with you?"  
"Yeah, though I had to buy a new one they made sure I kept my number"  
"Okay then I'll keep you up to date, let me know how you get on"  
"Will do"  
"Steph, I'm really sorry"

"Yeah well no one can predict what my Grandmother might do"

"No, about us. Maybe when you get back we can try again?"

"It would be nice if we can stay friends"  
"That would be hard to do"  
"Maybe, but give it time and I'm sure it'll work out"  
I heard the sound of a horn and turned to see my Father's car arrive, Morelli just turned and walked away, strange I thought he might have at least spoken to my Dad. Once in and buckled up he headed for the road that would eventually take us to the airport. He was real quiet as we travelled, which I know he can be, but he was even quieter than usual, maybe he was worried as well.

"Can you ask Val to look after Rex"  
"Yeah, I'm sure the girls will love that"  
"I'll find her"  
"I know you will, but what a mess she's left us with but I suppose Morelli did us a favor"  
"I suppose"  
As we drew up in front of the departure terminal I lifted my bag out of the car and closed the door, I was left standing gaping after the car as it raced away to leave, I thought my Dad would have at least stayed with me to work out where Grandma had gone, I mean how the hell do you do that? I went to the information desk and waited my turn, there were tourists in front of me who were fussing about how they could get into the city but soon it was my turn, so now to turn on the concern and even maybe a tear or two.

"I really need to find my Grandmother"  
"If she's here we can put an announcement over the system"  
"No I think she flew out but I don't know where to"  
"Oh dear that's most unusual"  
"Well she has dementia and I really need to get to her and bring her back home, my mother is in a real state worrying about her"  
"What's her name and I'll put a search through the passenger lists, but I need proof of who you are in relation to her"  
I pulled out the papers my Mum had given to me and watched as she looked through them, she looked at me and then at the photo of Grandma in a family shot, did my mother have to find one with her in a lilac track suit and matching hair? I suppose it added to the idea that she had dementia. I waited as she scrolled through information on the computer and noticed as soon as she had found a destination.

"Seems like she's gone to London"  
"London England?"  
"Yes"  
"So when's the next flight there?"  
"There's a BA flight that leaves at 6.30"  
"Thank you"  
"You'll have to go to the international departure terminal"  
Okay I would need to get from here to terminal 7, thank heavens I'd only brought a carry on bag with me. I got the train to get transfer to the other terminal, it was quick to arrive and I was soon in the right place, I then headed over to the BA desk, praying I was on time and that there were seats available.

"I really need to get to London"  
"Oh dear it's already started boarding"  
"Please, I have to catch up with my Grandmother, she's not well and forgot her medication"  
"Let me check to see if there are any seats left"  
I waited patiently honestly I did but felt myself rocking on my feet.

"You're lucky, we have one seat left"

"That would be brilliant"

"You don't have luggage to go in the hold do you?"  
"No"  
"Good, because we couldn't guarantee that it would go with you"  
I gave her my bankcard and my passport and soon she was handing me a boarding pass.

"Gate 3, I'll get someone to take you through otherwise you may miss the flight"

I couldn't believe how helpful she was and when a young man came up behind me he took my bag and then walking so fast I almost had to run led me to a fast track lane and through security, it was so much easier than any other experience I had ever had and I'd been really careful with the liquids I'd carried working on the premise that I could always buy what I needed when I got there. After showing my passport and boarding pass I was eventually led down the tunnel to the plane, hell it seemed big and I felt I walked for miles to eventually find my seat number. I managed to shove my bag in the overhead locker space and then inwardly groaned at where my seat actually was.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I came awake when someone touched my arm and I looked up to see Jenny smiling down at me.

"We're about to land"

Being in first class had been an amazing experience; the hours had passed really quickly mainly because I slept through most of it. I looked at my watch realizing it was 2am, sheesh it was the middle of the night, so why was it sunny outside, then I heard the announcement that here in London it was actually 7 in the morning. How did that work, I mean how could I lose 5 hours, I could never get my head round time zones and how different places were at different times all at the same time. The sign to fasten seat belts came on so I raised my seat and folded up the blanket and sat waiting for the part I dreaded the most, yeah we were landing, so gripping the arm rests I closed my eyes as I felt the plane drop and my stomach somersault. I couldn't really see out of the window but what I did see were dark clouds and as it cleared and the plane banked ready to approach the airport I could see the sprawling metropolis of a city below. I have to say the landing was actually very smooth, no bouncing like I was used to and then as we quickly slowed down the plane started to taxi to the gate where I would leave.

"Here's your bag luv, then you can get off the plane first"  
"Thank you so much for all your help"  
"Have a lovely holiday"

I collected my things together holding my passport in my hand and followed the other passengers out and into the terminal. I seemed to walk for miles before arriving at passport control, then waited patiently for my turn to pass through. Once through I stood and looked around, I had no idea where to go, hell London was a big place and there were probably hundreds of hotels where Grandma could be staying, how on earth would I find her. I suddenly felt so vulnerable and alone, I mean I was in England all by my self. I felt a small bump at my back, behind me but I was so confused at looking around I just assumed it was people passing me by.

"Are you all right?"  
"Sorry"  
I turned to see the most gorgeous man standing behind me, he was a blonde British version of Ranger, dressed in an expensive suit with his hair tied back in a leather tie and a body that oozed testosterone.

"You look lost, are you all right?"

"I'm not sure, well yes I'm all right, it's just that"  
"Whoa slow down, do you know where you need to be?"  
"Not really, other than maybe in the city"  
"Okay, anywhere in particular?"  
"Well it's complicated"

I looked back up and into his eyes, was he amused with me because I could swear his lips were quirking up.  
"So it's solvable"  
"Maybe"

"You really are confusing me you know"  
"My Grandma came in last night but she didn't think to tell me where was staying"

"Had she booked in advance?"  
"I don't think so"  
"Let's try the information desk, they can book hotels from here when you arrive"  
I followed him to the desk and once again waited in the queue but was surprised when he took the lead to talk to the woman.

"My friends Grandmother arrived last night and we think she may have booked a hotel with you"  
"That's possible, what name is it please"

I stepped forward to the desk and leaned over it, conscious that the man was still with me.  
"Edna Mazuur"  
"Do you have proof of being a relative?"  
"Sure"  
The papers came out of the envelope again and the woman looked back and forth between me and the photo, a slight smile on her face, okay I knew Grandma could be eccentric but the way people viewed her was beginning to irritate me.

"Yes I booked her and her companion into a room at the St Giles Hotel, Bedford Avenue"

"That's amazing, thank you so much for that"  
"No problem, do you want me to book a room for you?"  
"Err, no thanks, I'll wait till I get there"  
"Anything else Sir?"  
I watched as the man shook his head and squealed as he took me by my elbow and started to lead me toward an escalator. But I was so confused now after the woman had said that Grandma had a companion, no one had mentioned she was travelling with someone. I felt uneasy with this man just trying to take me with him and stopped meaning he was face to face with me again.

"Hey, hold it"  
"What?"  
"Where are we going?"  
"I thought you wanted to get to the hotel?"  
"I do"  
"So this leads down to the station, we can get a train into London from there"

"But you don't have to, I mean you probably need to get home, I'll be fine now"  
"I have to get the train to get home"  
"Oh well, sorry"  
Maybe if he was going the same way as me it wouldn't hurt to let him help me a little bit more so turned and started to follow him. I was surprised at how deep we seemed to go before we finally came to the station and pleasantly surprised at how clean the place was, then I had another panic but this time he could see it on my face.

"I need some currency, I don't have any pounds to pay for a ticket"  
"Don't worry, I'll buy the ticket and then we can find a cash machine"  
I really didn't know what to think of this guy, I mean was it usual for British men to be so polite and helpful or was I being naive and he'd try to attack me or steal from me or worse still rape me? I kept a distance from him as we boarded the train and sat opposite him on the end seat once on the carriage, shit I needed to have an escape route.

"You seem tense, are you all right?"  
"Yes"

"No you're not, what's wrong?"  
"Well I'm just not comfortable"  
"With me?"  
I could see the surprise in his face so then worried that maybe I'd upset him.

"It's just that I'm a bit wary of strangers"  
"Oh, I never thought of that"  
He held his hand out to me and I tentatively took it.

"My name's Carl, Carl Johnson"  
"Stephanie, Steph Plum"  
"Here look at these"  
He put his hand inside his jacket and pulled out his wallet and then proceeded to show me the cards inside. All of them had his name written on them and his license to drive had a photo of him.

"I'm sorry"  
"No, I understand, being a single woman travelling in a strange country you do right to be aware of your surroundings and the people around you"  
Shit did he have to use that expression, what I wouldn't give to have Ranger sat with me, but maybe I had someone here who would help me along the way. I rested my head back against the seat watching out of the window, it looked cold and drab here compared to the weather I'd left, I just hoped Grandma was cooperative and we could get back home soon. I was surprised at how built up it was and how fast the train seemed to be travelling and as the sound of the train on the tracks and the warmth from the heating took over I lost myself into a dozing sleep.

"Steph, Stephanie"  
I sat up with a start surprised to see Carl stood over me.

"We need to get off here"  
I placed my bag on the floor, pulling up the handle so that I could pull it behind me and then followed him off the train, to be honest I was still half asleep so had no idea of where we were.

"We need to get a tube to Tottenham Court Road"  
Again I followed him through a tunnel and up an escalator onto another platform, it was a lot busier here, more people getting on and off the train so this time I stuck close to Carl. There were no seats available so I stood holding the handle above me, not doing very well with the way the train swayed, stopping and starting, but soon Carl turned me and we made our way out of the train and then began our upward journey.

It was so nice to be outside and even though it was busy I now felt more confident of myself, we stopped in front of a cash machine so that I could withdraw some money not a lot but enough to pay Carl back and get back to the airport and maybe some for something to eat and drink. We walked across the road from the station and up two blocks before turning right finding the sign for the hotel, Carl stopped and turned me, a serious look on his face, it was so expressive unlike Ranger's.

"Here's where I leave you Steph, you sure you're going to be all right?"  
"Yes, thank you so much for the help you've given to me"  
"You're welcome, here take my card and if you want some company or are ever in London again give me a call"  
I took the card, reading his name and a mobile number and then slipped it into my pocket, turning and dragging my bag behind me I headed into the hotel, I really needed a shower and a change of clothes. The hotel wasn't as big as I expected, the reception area had a few seats against the walls and the décor was fussy, lots of flowers on the wallpaper and drapes. At the reception desk I waited for the man to look up from what he was doing, didn't he realize I was stood here?

"How can I help you?"  
"My Grandmother, Mrs. Mazuur, has a room here, could you tell me which room she's in?"  
"Oh I'm sorry, I couldn't possibly do that"  
"Well can you call her and tell her I'm here"  
"I'm sorry but she isn't here right now"  
"Oh?"  
"She booked a tour of the sites around the city"  
"Do you know what time she'll be back?"  
"Well she went for the day long tour, so I'd say she should be back by 4pm"

Great, absolutely great, I had 6 hours to wait before she got back, what the hell was I supposed to do now? I looked down at my case wondering what the best plan of action was and decided to get creative.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where the rest room is please"  
"The ladies room is over to the right, beyond the stairs"  
"Thanks"  
Okay so it wasn't ideal but at least I felt a little cleaner, trying to wash in there had been a nightmare, I mean since when do sinks not have plugs and why would the water keep turning off? Changed into clean underwear, clean jeans and a sweater did make me feel more awake. I went back to the desk, but I'm sure he was giving me funny looks.

"Excuse me, is it possible for me to leave my bag here until my Grandmother gets back?"  
"Well I'm not sure, I mean we don't really store cases and security won't be happy"  
"Please, just till she comes back"  
Did I use my puppy dog eyes and maybe bite my lip looking sad, oh yeah, anything to get him to agree.

"All right, I'll put it in the back office, but I finish at lunch time so it will be a different person on reception"  
"You have just saved my life, thank you so much"  
As I left the desk I picked up some information leaflets, there really was a lot to see in London, no wonder Grandma had gone for the tour, she'd probably see most of the highlights of the city. Me, I'd walk where I could, no way was I going to try and battle my way on the tubes, it wasn't a place I felt comfortable with. Turning left I headed down Charing Cross Road, past the tube station from earlier and found a great little café that sold the most delicious pastries and espresso coffee, I thought I deserved something sweet to eat. As I walked I window-shopped finding the shops had some beautiful clothes probably cheaper than back home and eventually followed the signs toward an area called Covent Garden. It was packed with tourists and there was a real vibrant atmosphere here, it was a shame I couldn't stay longer to really appreciate where I was. As I finished watching street performers I realized I would need to get back to the hotel, hopefully it wouldn't be too long before Grandma came back. So I quickly made my way back to the hotel. I sat in the lobby area watching as people came in from their day out, every time getting up expecting to see her, by 4.45 I was beginning to get worried so approached the receptionist once again. This time it was a young girl manning the desk and she seemed far more approachable than the man had this morning.

"Excuse me, but I'm waiting for my Grandmother"  
"Do you know what room?"  
"No, sorry, I was told she'd be out all day on a tour"  
"Let me check for you, what name please"  
"Mrs. Mazuur"  
I watched as she scrolled through the computer and knew the instant she scowled that there was something wrong.

"I'm sorry, it seems she cut the tour short and checked out"  
"What, how, did she say where she was going?"  
"Let me check, ah yes it says here that she asked us to book her into our sister hotel in Paris"  
"Paris! France"

"Yes, do you need me to book you a room as well?"  
"No, no. Oh I left my case with you in the back office?"  
"Do you want it now?"  
"Please"  
I watched as she disappeared and retuned with my case, wondering what the best way would be to get to Paris, did I fly or go by train, I heard there was a tunnel that joined the two countries together.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"  
"Is it easier to fly or take the train?"  
"Probably the train, it only takes a couple of hours to get there, let me check the times"

I watched again as she went onto the computer, hell how was it I'd missed my Grandmother.

"There's one at 6.31 from St Pancreas, do you want me to reserve you a seat?"  
"Please"

"Bank card please"  
I passed over my card and input my numbers and took the paperwork she passed me and then panicked because I had no idea where that particular station was.

"I'll get the bell boy to stop a taxi outside for you to get you to the station"  
"Thank you for being so helpful"  
"My pleasure, I hope you have a lovely time in Paris"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I'd hoped seeing as I would be paying for a taxi I'd get to ride in one of those black ones, I couldn't believe my luck as one drew to a stop in front of us, the man from the hotel put my bag inside and told the driver where to take me, it was weird really because I was totally isolated from the driver by a pane of glass. It wasn't a long ride which judging by the amount I had to pay was probably a good thing. As we pulled up in front of the station I looked at where I was, the station itself looked like an old brick building that had been carefully renovated but once inside the sheer size of the domed glass roof took me by surprise. There seemed to be a lot of people standing around, probably people going home from work, so I followed the signs for the Eurostar making sure I had my ticket in my hand. I placed my ticket barcode against the small scanner screen on the automatic ticket gates at the entrance to the departure lounge and then prepared myself for an airline-style security check with X-ray for my bags and a metal detector for me, but it was quicker & easier than at an airport, there was a passport check so I chose to use the manned desk and then found myself at last in a departure lounge. The area was clean and modern with plenty of seats so I found a seat against the wall and checked my phone and used a socket to plug it in so that it would charged up, pleased that I had access to free Wi-Fi, so with 40 minutes to wait I logged into the system wanting to check out my emails. Once I'd deleted all the rubbish and advertising I was disappointed that no one had sent me anything, maybe a quick update was due, so I gave an account of my adventure so far and sent it out to Mary Lou, Connie and my parents, maybe if they read it they'd get back to me with an update, because at the rate I was going getting Grandma back in a reasonable time was looking unlikely. As a second though I sent a brief message to Morelli, saying I was on Grandma's trail and asking if he had any updates, for some reason I really didn't want to share where I was with him, maybe he'd be less annoyed if he thought she was still in the States. I did consider sending one to Tank but as I opened a new email to write it the announcement came through that we were boarding. With the phone shut down and the cable back in my bag I headed up the escalator to the platform and boarded, pleased that I had a window seat facing forward and that I didn't have to share my space with other passengers.

The time went faster than I thought it would, but then so did the train, countryside just whizzed past the window and it wasn't long before we started to go through the tunnel, I didn't like that part about it and was so relieved when we came up and out at the other side, wow was I really in France, did it look any different, probably not and as it was getting dark I didn't see very much of Paris either. Getting out of the station seemed so much easier than the airport had been in London, for one it was in the center of the city and being late there weren't as many people about. As I came out of the station I was surrounding by the sound of traffic and couldn't believe how many lanes were being used here in the heart of the city. I had no idea where the next hotel was so decided a taxi was probably the best way to get there. I joined the queue until eventually it was my turn for the taxi and once inside simply held out the paper the young girl in London had given to me for him to read. Did I close my eyes, probably, did I let out a scream, possibly, even Jersey had nothing on how people drove here, but to give them their due I didn't see an accident. I had to pay by card for the taxi, shit I had forgotten to get any Euros, in the morning that would be on the list of things to do. In fact I felt quite up beat as I entered the lobby of the hotel, at last I could talk with Grandma and we could head back home.

"What do you mean she isn't here? The hotel in London said she booked it this lunchtime"  
"Mademoiselle, she did, but she call and cancelled"  
How could my Grandmother do this to me, how could she run around Europe when I needed to find her? My head fell onto the shoulder high counter, I couldn't help it, I was so tired and now she seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

"Mademoiselle, is there something I can do?"

"Do you know where she went?"

"Pourquoi oui"

"Yes?"

I had absolutely no idea what she had said.

"She say she go see Greek gods"

"Where would she see Greek gods?"

"Athènes de"

"Athens as in Greece?"

"Oui"

"Okay I probably need to go there then but I really need to sleep first, do you have a cheap room just for tonight"

"Peut- etre"

I really didn't care how much it cost; I was tired, hungry and needed a shower and a bed. I felt as though I hadn't stopped since leaving Trenton, okay I did doze on the plane, but that didn't make up for all of the travelling. I paid by card and with a key card set off up the stairs and into the bedroom, it was a small room with a single bed and a bedside table, a dresser made the floor space quite small but at least I had my own bathroom, in fact it didn't seem as nice as the hotel in London. I dumped my bag on the bed and headed into the bathroom, not stopping till I was under the hot spray of the shower. Once dried I dressed in my pajamas, and looked through the menu of food available in the room, hell it seemed expensive but I really needed something to eat so using the phone ordered a pizza. I was really disappointed when it came, I thought maybe cuisine would be better here in France after all the country was supposed to be famous for their cooking. I only managed to eat half of it, I didn't think it was because there wasn't any real taste to it; I think it was a result of the mood I was in. I felt so alone as I lay in the bed, how was it that my Grandmother was always one step ahead of me, did she know that maybe someone might come after her? I tried to get comfy in the bed but all I could think about were my friends back home and Ranger, hell I wondered if he would be back soon, I know when he'd caught me at my apartment to tell me he was leaving town it could be a long time. Somehow I sensed that and I tried really hard not to show how disappointed I was but as he'd pushed me up against the wall to kiss me I could feel my eyes water.

"Babe, I'll be back before you know it"  
"Please be careful"  
"I will, and I'll find you when I get back"

Those words had stayed in my head, he'd been different to how he normally was and if I had to give his mood a name I'd say melancholy.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Did I sleep in, well I suppose it depended on which time I took notice of, the clock on the wall, it said 10am, while my watch said 9am but in my head I was saying 4am. I knew I had to get up whatever the time and found the last set of clean clothes in my case, a pair of black jeans and a T-shirt, then pulled a sweater over my head. Maybe I could buy some clothes here, then again I really needed to catch up with Grandma and it seemed like I would need to head to Athens. I felt optimistic this morning of finding her, maybe having a good night's sleep had helped. I decided flying seemed to be the fastest route so once I'd tidied up the room I headed down to the reception desk.

"Mademoiselle, how can I help you?"  
"I need to get to the airport"  
"Not a problem the shuttle leaves in ten minutes"  
"Shuttle bus?"  
"Oui, hotel autobus"  
"How much will it cost?"  
"Rien, for guests"  
Okay that made paying for the room so worth it and with only another couple with me it was an interesting journey, as long I continued to ignore how mad French drivers were. The driver tried to explain some of the places we passed on our way. We went round the Arc de Triumph and Eifel Tower was a constant view, we travelled along the bank of the River Seine before crossing over. I had some real regrets of not being able to stay and enjoy the city, but in my heart I knew I had to find Grandma so as we neared the airport I let out a sugh, half dreading what was still to come. Once at the terminal I used the information desk and found that a flight was leaving in two hours with Aegean Air, it would only take two and a half hours to get there. After I went through the whole rigmarole of buying a ticket and then going through security I sat with an excellent cup of coffee and switched on my phone. There was free Wi-Fi here as well so I read the reply from Mary Lou and Connie both wishing me well and looked to see if my parents or Morelli had replied, nothing, maybe they would only reply with good news. Now I had the time I sent a message to Lester telling him all about my Grandmother and me travelling around Europe, in fact I probably said more to him than anyone else. By the time I'd closed down my phone again it was time to board. No such luck on this flight, though I did have an aisle seat so felt more relaxed, the plane was a lot smaller but I still hated the take off and landing and was so glad when we were taxiing toward the terminal. The airport was a lot smaller than the one in London and I was soon through and out looking out for another information desk. Yeah I was getting into the swing of how information could be found.

"Hi, how could I get into Athens?"  
"Metro Line 3 Kyria"  
"Okay have you helped an old lady find a hotel?"

"Sorry?"  
"Grandmother"

I could see she hadn't a clue what I was talking about so I took out my phone and switched it on finding a recent photo of my Grandmother. I pointed at it and then looked back to her to see that maybe she had recognized her.

"Pireas"  
She opened a map in front of her and pointed to a place called Pireas, it was on the other side of Athens next to the sea, obviously a port, oh hell had she booked to go on a cruise now? Would it be easy to find out once there or had I used up my luck in being able to follow her to where I was now? If she had booked a cruise then that was it, I was definitely giving up the chase. I went to the cash machine first this time so I had enough Euros for the train and maybe another stay in a hotel, I just hoped they'd be cheaper than the night before. The train took me into the center of Athens, it wasn't as fast as the Euro train had been and was packed with tourists so I was lucky to find a seat, surprised at how far from the city the airport actually seemed to be. As I got down onto the platform I couldn't believe how hot it was, it was definitely time to buy more suitable clothes. I didn't really take to Athens, I mean I could understand the appeal of the ancient ruins, the Acropolis, but everywhere else was dusty with lots of cars, in fact it reminded me of a smoggy day in Trenton. I decided to walk down the street and not far from the station I found a shop that sold me a sleeveless T-shirt and cut off cotton trousers, they felt comfortable and seemed cheap enough so now I needed to get to the port. Packing my dirty clothes into my bag I picked up some leaflets at the front of the shop and stood outside looking through them. I made a guess from a tourist map and decided it would take ages to walk to Pireas and I wasn't prepared to do that in this heat, so I did what had worked before and looked around for a taxi on the street outside of the dress shop. I couldn't believe my luck when one stopped in front of me, so giving the driver the name of the place I needed to be I placed my bag on the seat and climbed in, then sat back ready to enjoy the ride. I knew it was only about six miles, so it shouldn't take long to get there, though I didn't reckon on how busy the streets would be. After 30 minutes, though I wasn't sure where I was, I was starting to get worried when the journey seemed to take so long and when he pulled to a stop in front of a derelict building I knew I was in trouble, I tried to open the door, but he must have locked it from the front. Now what, why were we just sitting here, was he waiting for something to happen?

"Excuse me, why are we here?"

He ignored me, I wasn't sure if it was because he didn't understand me or not, but surely he could tell I was panicking from the sound of my voice. I looked around trying to get a read of the place and then saw two men come out of a door at the side of the building, shit now what? I heard the door locks release and that was enough for me, I opened the door and ran like hell. The only thing I heard was a car engine and then I saw the taxi disappear, now what, because he had my case and my handbag with him, even if I managed to get out of here I had no money or passport. I slowed down as I came to a tall fence and as I turned to find another way to escape I saw the two men sauntering over toward me. They looked to be Greek to me, I mean they had that tanned skin and black hair, dressed in jeans and colored T-shirts. I stopped looking at them and continued to search for a way out but I knew I was trapped, with nowhere to go. Why, I mean I didn't look rich or have fancy jewelry on, why would they pick me to have a go at but worst of all what did they intend to do with me. I backed up against the fence not surprised as they stopped in front of me.

"Okay lady this can be easy or hard, it's up to you"  
"But you've taken everything I have"  
"Not yet we aint, the boss wants you"

I turned to the side to run but felt a hand grab hold of me, he turned me hard and then I felt a fist land on the side of my head, I stumbled but no way was I giving up, I used my arms and legs to strike out at them but after a few moments I knew I was running out of energy and that's when it happened a touch on my arm was all it took before I hit the ground.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was the steady droning and vibrations that were the first thing that I heard and felt, then it was the smell, it smelt like diesel, the type of fuel I would smell at the docks, and then it hit me and the feel of a sway confirmed it, I was fastened up on a boat that was moving. I opened my eyes and panicked, darkness surrounded me but when I moved I could feel a rough material next to my face and when I made to scream I could feel the tape across my mouth. My hands were tied behind my back and my ankles were tied together, now I really did panic. I felt so sick I started to shake, dear god why had they picked me, all I wanted to do was find my Grandmother and now I never would and no one would even know I was missing let alone where I was. This time I was well and truly on my own. The panic was stopping me from crying with the sound of my heartbeat and the fast rate of my breathing drowning out any other sounds. I don't know how long I'd been unconscious for or how long I'd been on the boat for but I felt a change in the vibrations coming from the engine and felt as it hit something at the side. The silence was just as bad as the noise and I heard footsteps coming down some stairs, not one person but two. For now I decided my best course of action was stay as still as possible, pretend I was still unconscious. I heard the door open and tensed as they came nearer and then listened as they talked.

"You carry her, I'll get the doors"  
"Where we taking her?"  
"Boss wants her in the hut down by the beach"

I felt someone lift me up as though to get me to stand and then he was hoisting me over his shoulder, my head hanging down his back. As he walked up the stairs and out I could hear the sound of the sea, waves hitting against a pier, and the smell of salt in the air. He seemed to walk along wood, that I presumed was a wooden pier and then there was no sound at all from him, maybe sand if we were headed to the beach. I heard a door open and suddenly I was literally dumped onto the floor, I couldn't help as I hit the floor I gave a small grunt but that seemed to be enough for someone to think I was now awake. I felt the cloth being pulled off my head and my head slam back onto the floor, then listened as the men began to talk, obviously they didn't care if I overheard them.

"She doesn't look like I thought she would"  
"Yeah well she fought like a cat when we got to her"

"Her things disposed of Alec?"  
"Yeah, Barak was burning it away from anywhere"

I looked around as my eyes adjusted to the light, I had no idea what time it was but was aware of the door opening and closing and another man walking in.  
"So Miss Plum maybe I should introduce myself, Alec sit her on the chair and then she can see who will be her worst nightmare"  
He knew who I was, how was that, had they gone through my things before they destroyed them? Oh god what did he mean, why would he want to hurt me. Once sat I looked around the room, the two men who had brought me here were stood by the door but it was the man sat on a chair in front of me that had my attention. He had white hair that was long enough to tie back even though it was fine and wispy, his face showed his age, I wasn't good at ageing older people, maybe older than my mother but younger than my Grandmother. His skin was tanned a golden brown and the ravages of the skin showed in tiny brown marks on his hands and neck. He sat up straight in the chair and his eyes were intently watching me, I didn't like the expression on his face or the way his eyes looked at me.

"You have damaged me and my family Miss Plum. You have single handedly jeopardized my business. But you have brought heart ache to all of us"  
I honestly hadn't a clue what the hell he was talking about; I mean how could I have done anything he'd said?

"Do you know who I am?"  
I shook my head vehemently.

"My name is Demetri Nicolini"

I had absolutely no idea who he was, nor had I ever heard of the name.

"My brother Jonas is now locked up in a secure facility and my son Gavin is dead, all because of you"  
His son Gavin, but the only Gavin I knew was called Gavin Collins, I just hoped he saw the shock in my eyes because when I last saw Gavin he was alive, maybe I broke his arm but that couldn't have killed him.

"That stupid stunt you pulled got him killed, he didn't even know he'd been hit until he fell to the floor. So now Miss Plum you are going to pay"  
He got up and walked from the room whispering something to one of the men, was he the one called Alec, and then left closing the door behind him. I watched, I was so scared of what they would do to me but was surprised when one came up to me and pulled the tape from my face, it hurt, but no way would I make a sound. The other man approached me with a knife in his hand, I know I tried to move away from him but he just laughed at me and then came up behind me and cut the rope tied around my wrists and did the same with the rope around my ankles. It was Alec who stood in front of me.

"Miss Plum where you are is in a very secure compound, there is a tall fence around it with mines buried just inside. There are armed guards patrolling the fence and along the cliffs. The bay has a net across it stopping anyone from coming in or leaving. You will stay here as a guest of Mr Nicolini to do with as he sees fit. Food will be brought to you once a day but you will not talk to the woman who brings it, she doesn't understand English"  
I listened as he talked not really understanding the implications of what he was saying, did that mean that Nicolini intended to keep me here forever or until he killed me? As they left the room I stayed sat where I was, could this really be happening to me? I pulled my knees to my chest and began to rock on the chair, not really believing the situation I was in, and there would be no one looking for me or coming to my rescue, would Morelli or my parents try to get in touch and be worried when I didn't reply and Grandma, where was she? Was she safe? I was a prisoner here with little chance of escape.

As my mind cleared of such dark thoughts I looked around where I was, it was a small room with a single bed made from metal with a thin mattress on top. There was a thin sheet over it and a dirty pillow that may have been white once upon a time. There were a couple of wooden chairs and that was it. A door piqued my curiosity so I walked over to look inside seeing a stained toilet with no seat and a cracked sink with stains where a single tap was dripping. There was no shower or tub and no towels or soap. I turned from the room and went over to the window, Christ how could I be in such a beautiful place. I could see white sand leading down to a blue sea, small waves lapping against the edge where they met, to each side were steep and jagged cliffs and in the distance across the water I could see buoys floating, bobbing up and down, no doubt that was where the net was that had been mentioned before. I looked at my wrist expecting to see my watch but it was gone, I had no idea what time it was. I didn't know what to do but I was scared to go outside, was that something I was allowed to do? I didn't know what to do with myself, I knew I was scared, maybe the idea of leaving me alone was part of the pain Nicolini wanted to inflict on me. I didn't want to sleep even though I was tired; I was frightened someone would come into the room when I was asleep. I eventually lay down, but it was on the floor in the corner away from the bed. I think I was too shocked with the situation I found myself in to cry all I could think about was Ranger, would he know I was in trouble, probably not, but how I wished I could hear his voice and the feel of his arms around me, telling me everything would be all right.

I woke with a start when the door opened and a woman walked in with a tray putting it down next to me on the floor. I didn't look up at her, I didn't want to look into her face and only as she left the room did I look at what was on the tray. Some bread, cheese and fruit, it looked all right but how did I know and to be honest my stomach was in knots, no way could I eat. I got up and used the toilet, rinsing my hands in the cold water and then walked back and forth in the room.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I came to a stop when the door opened again and Nicolini walked in with the same two men, but this time there was an older woman with him, maybe the same age as my Grandmother. She was dressed in a long black skirt and a dark red blouse, her hair was pulled back into a bun at the back of her neck, but although she seemed old she seemed to carry herself with assurance. As I turned back to Nicolini I saw him nod at the men and knew I was starting to panic; I stepped back as they came toward me but there was nowhere to go, they grabbed me by my arms and flung me on the bed face down. I kicked with my legs and bucked my body to try and get free. Whilst one sat on me the other tied my hands to the top of the bed, when the weight on my back disappeared I felt them raising the head of the bed until it was rested against the wall and I was hung there by my wrists. My breathing was getting faster and I tried in vain to get free, my face rubbing against the stale smelling sheet from the bed. Oh god what were they going to do to me?

"Miss Plum, no one knows you're here, you see we set you up, got you to follow who you thought was your Grandmother, we knew your every move through your phone, she's back home by the way and then we hacked into your email and told everyone that you wanted to spend some time touring Europe. By the time they start to worry where you are no one will know where to look"  
Was he telling me the truth, was Grandma really safely at home? How was I going to get out of this, because what he was saying was that I was all alone without any hope of someone rescuing me. I had to stay strong, I had to survive and I had to try and get myself out of here. I turned my head when Nicolini spoke again but I couldn't see anyone.

"Mother, are you staying?"  
"Nai, I want to see her suffer and in pain"  
Oh god what was he going to do to me? I knew too soon, as a blinding pain flashed across my back, it took me by surprise but no way was I going to scream out, I wasn't going to give him that satisfaction, why was it that I had to pay for his brother and son's greed and stupidity. If Gavin died it wasn't me who shot him or set off any explosions. As another two lashes hit my back I knew my shirt was ripped and what ever he was using had bitten into my skin but what I wasn't expecting was someone pulling my head back by my ponytail. My eyes were shut tight and my jaw was clamped shut to stop myself from screaming or shouting out.

"Get rid, it stop whip"  
The pulling stopped and I felt my hair fall over my face, someone had cut off my ponytail. I swore I wouldn't let them hear me scream and no way would I beg or plead with them to stop, no for once in my life I would be silent as he took his revenge out on me. I closed my eyes up tight to stop the tears from falling and tried to find a place in my head. I don't know how many more lashes they inflicted but eventually I was aware of the rope being untied, I fell to the floor hardly conscious, the pain excruciating across my back, I stayed curled in a ball on the floor, my head was buzzing and the pain I was feeling was trying to pull me down into blackness.

"Alec change her shirt then throw her in the sea, the salt will give her more pain but it will help it to heal for the next time"  
I felt the shirt being torn from me, I honestly wasn't even thinking that I was only wearing a bra when they did it and then someone roughly pulled a T-shirt over my head, pulling my arms through the sleeves and then I was hoisted to my feet with arms under my shoulders and dragged along the floor. I couldn't have put up a fight if I'd tried, I really wasn't aware of what was happening to me. The pain on my back was like a burning sensation and I couldn't even focus on where I was being taken until I felt myself being thrown forward. At first I welcomed the cool of the water against my face and skin but as soon as I sank into the water I took in a breath as the salt inflicted as much pain as the original lashings had. I spluttered as I swallowed water but was pulled up to the surface by my hair, by the man called Alec.

"Wouldn't want you to drown"  
"Hey what you doing, you feeling her up?"  
"Nah, though I'm sure the boss will be up for that"  
"Yeah well don't touch her until he says so"

He wasn't very gentle as he dragged me from the sea and up the sand back into the building that served as my room, I know I was shaking but I wasn't sure if it was from the pain, the cold from being wet or absolute fear. The bed was now laid back on the floor and the man let me fall onto my stomach then left me alone I heard the sound of the door closing as he left. I think I was numb because I couldn't even cry, I didn't think I could survive being hurt like this as Nicolini seemed to suggest but at the moment all I wanted to do was lie still until whatever he'd done to my back had settled down. I started to think through what he'd told me. Maybe someone would get suspicious if they tried to contact me, maybe they would expect me to be in touch with them, but I knew Nicolini had gone to extraordinary lengths to bring me here and slowly the realization of my situation hit me.

I dozed as I lay there, maybe drifting in and out of consciousness, I didn't have the energy or willpower to move, I knew though that if this carried on maybe being shot trying to escape or being blown up by a mine was preferable to his torture. I didn't hear the door open and looked around in shock, flinching away as someone sat on the bed, dear god no, surely he hadn't come back had he? A hand rested on my shoulder and I could sense someone come close to me and then I heard the voice of a woman next to me.  
"Lay still and listen. I'm sorry he's hurt you and we will get you out of here but we can only do it from the sea. Next time you go into the water you have to swim out as far as you can. Do you understand me?"  
I nodded my head as I internally rationalized what she was saying, was there someone who could really help, but who was it, I hadn't even turned to look at where the voice was coming from. I heard the door close and noticed a chair had been moved next to the bed and on it was a tray of food, the same as the day before but maybe I needed to try and eat something. Moving wasn't as bad as it had been but I knew that staying still would cause me to get stiff, so carefully I turned and sat on the edge of the bed. The bread was dry and hard so I made do with the fruit, peaches and apricots and grapes, they tasted good and soon they were gone. I smelt the cheese and decided no way was I going to eat that, it had the smell of strong goats cheese and I knew it wasn't one of my favorites but maybe as time went on I would need to start liking it if it was the only thing to eat. As I stayed sat on the edge of the bed slowly rocking back and forth I dreaded every passing minute, waiting for the door to open, waiting to see what new pain he could inflict on me and as the time went by I became more and more anxious, I had lost all concept of time and I couldn't even remember being aware of whether I'd spent another night in here so when the door did open I almost jumped with the shock. It was Nicolini, but he only had one of the men with him, wasn't he the one that had taken me into the sea, Alec? I didn't know what to expect and was surprised when the man grabbed my arm and sat me on the chair, tying my hands to the back and my ankles to the legs. I still felt weak from the lashings and couldn't summon up the strength to fight back. I couldn't even imagine what they could do to me and was still confused when the man tipped back the chair until my head was inches from the floor. A cloth came over my face and then in this darkness, with my head down the rag was soaked with water. I waited until I abruptly felt a slow cascade of water going up my nose. Water flowed everywhere: in my mouth, in my nose, all over my face. But for a while I could still breathe in some small gulps of air. I held my breath for a while and then had to exhale and – as you might expect – inhale in turn. The inhalation brought the damp cloth tight against my nostrils, as if a huge, wet paw had been suddenly clamped over my face. Unable to determine whether I was breathing in or out, I was flooded more with sheer panic than with mere water. I tried to take in as little water as possible and to resist suffocation by keeping air in my lungs for as long as I could. But I couldn't hold on for more than a few moments. I had the impression of drowning, and a terrible agony, that of death itself, taking possession of me. In spite of myself, all the muscles of my body struggled uselessly to save me from suffocating. Then as suddenly as it had started the cloth was removed from my face and the chair was propped upright. I coughed and took in breaths as fast as I could, my breathing labored and my chest hurting. Just as I thought I was gaining control they did the whole thing again, but this time I didn't know if it was worse knowing what was coming or not, at the back of my mind I felt that this would surely kill me. I endured that horrendous experience four times all together, each time my panic got worse and each time I could almost feel myself drowning. When at last the chair was brought back down and the ropes tying me to it were loosened I slumped forward from the chair onto my knees on the cold concrete floor, I lowered my head onto my knees trying to fight down the panic inside me, taking in breaths of air as though they were my last.

"Throw her in again in an hour"  
I heard the door close and looked up to find myself totally alone, what they had done may not have seemed violent but I really didn't know which was worse, the painful flogging or the water torture. I stayed as I was sat on the floor, not knowing how to feel or what to think and then as my mind cleared I remembered what that woman had said earlier, did I believe that she could help me get away from here or was it her sick way of tormenting me knowing what Nicolini was going to do to me. I was panicking and I knew it but as I thought it through I would try to do as she suggested, after all how bad could it be, surely nothing as bad as what had already been done. I heard the door open but this time I summoned up every ounce of strength and courage from inside of me and I stood up, one way or another I was going to walk out of here, down to the beach and into the sea, maybe that way I might avoid actually been thrown in. I walked to the door fighting to keep my balance and my nerves in check, ignoring Alec and another man and went out into the sunshine not fully appreciating how warm the sun felt and I kept ahead of them as I made my way down the beach, over the soft white sand and into the shallow lapping waves.

"You trying to avoid being thrown in?"  
I didn't answer him or slow down, I moved as quickly as I could without falling over, the sand was soft under my feet and the water was calm as I looked down on it. The slope down into the water was gradual so I felt in control as I slowly walked into the water but as the water came above my stomach I felt myself panic. Small drops of water were splashing against my face and with that came absolute fright, an absolute terror as I remembered the water on my face from before. Could I do this, could I be strong enough to overcome the fear. I knew I had to so I slowly moved forward with my arms together and pushed with my feet so that I was swimming in the water, I stopped my reflex to close my eyes and lower my head and instead raised my head from the water and watched where I was going. I could feel my breathing increase but I had to do this, I had to swim out toward the net.

"Hey slow down"  
That shout gave me the extra confidence and a push to move my arms and legs faster, moving smoothly through the water with the sound of shouting getting quieter. I looked to each side as I now realized I was between the steep cliffs, I could see men sat on the rocks holding a gun across their knees, some were smoking others were watching the horizon and some were watching me. As I moved closer to the net I could see that it was held above the level of the water by huge red buoys, there would be no way of climbing over it without being seen and probably shot at. I stopped swimming, treading water and looked back toward the beach, there was one of the men stood on the sand and the other one struggling to swim after me, it never occurred to me that he wasn't very good at swimming. Maybe I'd just stay out here, maybe one of the guards would get trigger-happy and put me out of my misery. As I kicked my feet a bubble appeared in front of me and then a new fear gripped me, what if there were sharks out here ready to eat me, then something grabbed hold of my foot and began to slowly pull me down. I kicked and my arms splashed in the water and my breathing increased as water started to come nearer to my face, but the pull didn't lessen if anything the grip got stronger and I was suddenly under the water. All I could feel was the water against my face and the need to breathe but I couldn't control it, couldn't stop the feel of water in my mouth and nose and the burning from my lungs, I was drowning and suddenly as my mind dimmed I thought maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. What happened next though brought me back to where I was, I felt something being pushed into my mouth and then someone with a hand against the back of my head, oh god it was Nicolini and he was here to hurt me again. I tried to struggle, to get myself free but the more that happened the more I panicked until I embraced the cold and the dark that swallowed me up and felt myself floating away.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I knew I was being lifted and I was somewhere dry but once again I preferred to keep my silence, I could hear boots on metal and the voices of men around me.

"Why is she here?"  
"She's the package that Nicolini was so keen to get his hands on"

"Why, who is she?"  
"No idea, but maybe now we can find out some information"  
"What then?"  
"We send her back to him, maybe then he'll make some mistakes and we can get to the bottom of his operations"  
"You think she knows something"  
"Well she must be important"

"But why hurt her?"  
"Maybe she likes being hurt"

Surely this couldn't be happening to me, surely not again, didn't they realize I had no idea who Nicolini was or what he did.

"Leave her here until she comes round and then we can decide what to do with her"

I felt my self being lowered onto my side and something pulled over me, there was no way I would go down now without a fight, I couldn't take anymore of this, there was no way I'd let who it was take me back to that mad man. I didn't allow myself to sleep I listened for a door closing and sensing that I was alone, was looking round the room, I'd say I was on another fucking boat and this one was faster and newer. As I looked around I was looking for something, yeah the illusive cameras that would come with a swanky boat like this. It was a small room with the bed I was on in the middle of the wall, a door that maybe led to a bathroom and the other that should lead to freedom and that was where I needed to be. I turned onto my stomach and looked over to my other side and saw a small closet and a chair. That was the extent of this new prison. I couldn't see any cameras so eased myself up, my back was hurting having been back in the sea but nothing compared to the terror of being sent back to that compound. I wanted to find something I could use as a weapon, something hard and solid that I could use on someone when they came into the room to check up on me, or even question me. Carefully I eased myself from the bed shaking away the dizziness, determined to overcome it and walked over to one the doors. I checked in the bathroom beginning to feel a bit disheartened I mean surely I could find something, anything to use as a weapon, and there it was looking straight back at me, an aerosol can of deodorant, okay maybe not a brilliant choice but it had worked for me in the past, or was that hairspray. The closet only had men's clothes in it so I decided to go with the deodorant. I arranged the pillow in the bed so someone coming into the room would head straight there and assume I was still out of it and then I took the lid off the deodorant and crouched down behind the door, I noticed I still had the cut offs from when I'd been taken and the T-shirt that had been put on after the lashings, hell with my hair cut off and all the times I'd been soaked I must look and smell awful. My back still hurt and my hand was trembling as I prepared myself waiting for the door to open.

I didn't have long to muse about my looks before I heard a bolt slide across the door from the outside, it had never occurred to me it wouldn't be locked with a key. I saw a black boot first and then a khaki-colored trouser as someone came through the door, I waited until he was through and heading into the room and then I came out from behind the door, he sure was fast because he saw me straight away, but he didn't see the spray and once I'd sprayed the deodorant into his face and eyes he wasn't smiling any more, I pushed him as hard as I could as he struggled with his eyes and then made a dash for the door, pulling it shut behind me and sliding the bolt across. I lent against the door looking back and forth, okay now where did I go, because I wasn't exactly on home turf here, I kept to the walls and walked along a narrow corridor noticing metal steps at the end and as I popped my head up at the top found myself at the very back of the boat. I couldn't see anyone here so came up fully to look around. The ocean wasn't as calm as I remembered it being in the bay, so maybe we were out at sea, white caps danced in the light of the moon, but the whole vista was beautiful, I had no idea where I was or who had me and that nagging fear that Nicolini was behind this was slowly creeping up from inside of me. As I heard a sound of footsteps behind me I ran across the deck to the side of the boat and backed up against the rail that separated me from the sea, I was afraid of the water but far more afraid of who was here. Two men appeared on the deck and I think they were as confused as to what to do as I was, two men in khaki combat trousers and matching T-shirts, hell they were built just like my Merry Men, muscles rippling under their clothes and faces that were so serious but still good looking guys. There would be no way I could fend off these men, they could overpower me so easily. I looked over the edge and then back at the men. One of the men held up his hands as if in surrender, his dark brown hair blowing with the breeze.

"We don't want to hurt you neshama"

I gripped the rail tightly not knowing what to do or say.

"We got you away from that island, we know the man there was hurting you. We only want to keep you safe"

Could I believe him, believe that someone had come to my rescue? But why would they do that unless they were part of some evil plan. The other man now came forward like he was approaching a scared wild animal and I suppose that's what I was.

"I know you're scared but we honestly only want to help you, please step away from the rail"

Looking at this man he did look sincere with his crew cut hair and pale eyes, hell he even reminded me of Lester.  
I relaxed my grip but stayed where I was I wanted to believe them, wanting to believe that they wouldn't hurt me, but then I'd heard them say they were going to send me back.

"I won't go back"  
"We won't do that, I promise"

"Who are you?"  
"We are a group hunting down the man who took you"

"The man on the beach?"  
"Yes, he's not a good man and he needs to be stopped"

"How did you know I was there?"  
"We have someone working on the inside, she told us about you and that we had to get you out"  
I remembered the woman who had told me to swim far out into the bay, but how was I supposed to trust what these men were saying?  
"Neshama, you're hurt, we need to deal with that, please come downstairs where we can treat you"

"How do I know you're not part of his plan to deceive me?"

"No, we aren't"

"But you said you were going to send me back"  
"That was before"  
"Before what?"

"We misunderstood what he wanted you for"  
He took out his gun and holding it by the handle turned it and offered it to me, why would he do that?  
"If you don't believe us then you can shoot us"

I took the gun, expecting him to try and make a grab for me but he stepped back to where he was constantly watching me. I pulled out the magazine relieved to see that it was full and then reengaged it into the handle pulling back the top to load a bullet ready for firing. Yeah I knew how to use a gun, whether I would was another matter but they didn't need to know that.

"Will you come downstairs now?"

"I won't let you send me back there"

I knew I was fighting back the tears now and I felt so weary.  
"No we wouldn't do that, we didn't know he was hurting you"  
I hesitated and then looked down at the gun, I suppose if I discovered they were lying there were enough bullets to do some harm and maybe, just maybe rather than falling victim again to Nicolini I could use it on myself, anything to be sure that man couldn't hurt me again. I tightened my grip on the gun and looked around and saw an area under cover with chairs arranged around a table so nodded my head toward them, then followed as the two men went over and sat down. It was the one with the long hair who started to talk to me.

"What do you want to know?"  
"Just that I can trust you"  
He put his hand down the front of his shirt and pulled out a chain with a metal square hanging from it, he removed it and placed it in front of me.

"This is my diskit, I think you know it as a dog tag, I am part of an elite group from Israel"  
I looked down at the tag not understanding what it said but I did recognize the engraved star underneath.

"What does it say?"  
"It has my military service number and my name, Moshe, but most people call me Mo"

The other man now had his in his hand and brought it forward for me to see.

"My name is Elon, I'm 32 years old and I have a sister, Roda, we live in Jerusalem"

Okay, there stories seemed believable but I was still wary of why they were here and why they had maybe rescued me.

"Why are you after this man?"  
"He sells weapons to our enemies so he must be stopped, we aren't the only ones after him, he is a very dangerous man"  
Well that made sense because the warehouse where I came across Gavin was filled with weapons and they were selling them but I had no idea who the buyers were or where they would end up. I wasn't naive of the conflicts that happened in Israel, the bombings or attacks, so maybe I should trust them, but only so far. I probably had information that would help them but until I could really trust them I would keep that information to myself.

"Okay, I'm still not confident that you don't want to hurt me, but bare in mind I may know more than you think and if you try to hurt me I will die with that information"  
I really hoped they could hear the determination I felt but really what other choice did I have, I was stuck on this boat with them. Just as I had worked up enough courage to go with them another person appeared from nowhere, I cringed back as he approached but he never looked at me instead he spoke to the man named Mo, he was so concerned to talk to Mo he didn't even acknowledge me.

"We have to get Roda out, something's happened"

As I made to stand up I wave of dizziness hit me, the gun slipped from my hand onto the floor and although I tried to hold onto the table I knew my legs were giving way under me. I felt arms under my legs and shoulders and being carried.

"Nadav you take care of her while Elon and I go get Roda"  
"She's exhausted and I need to treat those wounds on her back"  
"Keep your radio open"

That was the last I heard as I was carried, I don't remember where I was taken or what happened next.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I was aware of an aching throughout my body and head then as I moved I could feel the pull of the lacerations across my back. I was laid on my side and felt cool air moving around me and heard the hum of something moving in the background. I slowly opened my eyes, trying to ignore the low level throb of a headache brought on by the light, seeing low level metal cabinets and glass fronted cupboards. If I didn't know better I'd say I was in Bobby's surgery, hell how I wished that were true, that Ranger would walk through the door and tell me everything would be all right.

"How you feeling?"  
I know I jumped at the sound of the voice and tried to turn in order to see where it had come from.

"No, stay still"

A man moved a low stool to sit in front of me and then placed his hand on my forehead. I know I flinched away from his touch but he only smiled at me, shit his eyes were slightly red, was he the one I attacked earlier?  
"For some reason you started to develop a fever, though I'm not sure what caused it, the lacerations on your back didn't look to have any signs of infection, but you seem a lot better now. I've cleaned up your back but it will take a few days for those to heal so just be careful"  
"Who are you?"

"Medic"  
"I'm sorry"  
"What for?"  
"Attacking you"  
"I guess I deserved it, I wasn't prepared for you and never even considered how you would feel when you came round"  
"How long have I been out for?"  
"36 hours, you slept for 12 of those and started with the fever so I gave you some antibiotics and anti inflammatory medication"  
I moved my arm and was absent mindedly scratching it when his eyebrows furrowed and he

took hold of my hand to stop the movement.

"What happened there?"  
I looked at my arm seeing a raised round area that was red and itchy trying to remember how it had happened, then it came to me.

"Stun gun, they used it to get me on the boat"

"Unusual reaction, just try not to scratch it"  
As I was looking down my arm I noticed that I was now wearing totally different clothes, a bright red sleeveless top, god I hoped I had something else on and then suddenly became worried about who had undressed me, I'm sure I was blushing because my cheeks were feeling red.

"What's that reaction for?"  
"The clothes"  
"Oh don't worry Roda wouldn't let anyone near you until she'd cleaned you up and dressed you"  
"Roda, Elon's sister?"

"Yes, I'm Nadav by the way, what do we call you?"  
"Steph"

"Okay how about you try to sit up and I'll get you something to drink and maybe if you feel up to it something to eat"  
I nodded my head and pushed up with an arm and then turned as Nadav raised the head of the bed for me to lean against, from this position I could get a better look at Nadav and the room I was in.

"You don't seem put off by the room?"  
"No, too many visits to one like this"  
"You get hurt a lot?"  
"I can do"  
Shit he was being too nice to me and I was letting things slip, I had to think before I spoke, I had to keep some distance between me and them until I got to know them better. I saw Nadav was waiting for more of an explanation, he had a similar look to Bobby, dark skin and black hair that was braided tight to his head, but he was maybe younger than Bobby. I heard the door open and watched as a woman walked in, watching as she went over to Nadav and kissed him on his cheek, before turning to me. She had long black hair pulled back from her face in a pony tail, that I was sure was dyed and eyes, so much like her brothers

"How's our patient doing?"

"I feel better, thank you for helping to get me away from there"  
"Girl no way was I leaving you there, not after seeing what he'd done to your back. Did he hurt you some more?"  
I didn't answer, I mean how do say that pouring water onto me hurt, it sounded so stupid, but that was a part that now frightened me the most.

"He did something else didn't he?"  
I looked down at my hands; no way was I going to tell her.

"You talk when it feels right okay? In the meantime we're all having something to eat out on the deck, you feel okay to join us?"  
Did I, I looked at Nadav who shrugged his shoulders, so I pulled down the cover to see I was in fact wearing jogging bottoms and swung my legs over the bed.

"I'll get you a long sleeved top, wait there a minute"  
Roda left the room but came back quickly carrying a cream colored hoodie, once she'd helped me to get it on I slipped from the bed onto my feet, trying to gauge how I felt now I was upright. I was surprised when Roda linked an arm through mine and together we walked out of the room heading I assume to the deck. I could only take the stairs slowly feeling weak, the ache in my muscles more evident than the lacerations on my back. She led me to chair and put a cushion on the back and then sat down next to me, Mo and Elon were already sat down and Nadav joined us. There was a large covered dish in the middle of the table; with a plate next to it of what looked like flat bread and bowls in front of us. Elon was the one to take off the lid and then he added a spoonful of it to our bowls, it looked like rice with black beans and maybe mince, I wasn't sure but it did smell good, I didn't realize how hungry I was. I listened as I slowly took small amounts from my bowl.

"Where are we heading?"  
"Ben's taking us home"  
Where the hell was home and did that mean I was going as well? Mo saw that I had stopped eating and clearly knew I was concerned.

"Steph we're from Israel, we need to regroup and look at what happened on that island"

"What happened there?"

Roda stopped eating and looked to me and then at the men around the table.

"Look how's about we finish eating and then we can talk?"

They all nodded and for the next ten minutes there was no more talking, I ate as much as I felt I could, maybe not a lot, but I felt full and a little bit guilty at leaving some. As I looked around at them I had the over whelming feeling of deja vue, another place and another time with different men, but the feeling here was so like how I felt with the men from Rangeman, the same camaraderie and silence

"That was good, what was it?"  
"Rice with black beans, chickpeas and lamb mince, oh and herbs and spices"

"You're still a good cook Roda"

"Hey anyone can throw that together"

I couldn't, well I didn't think I could. As everyone had finished Roda collected the dishes and then put some of the food in another bowl, was there someone else on board?

"Mo can you take this to Ben please"

"Ben?"  
"Yeah he's piloting the boat, come on let's go sit somewhere more comfortable"

I followed her to just inside the cabin where there were some couches and chairs, it looked a nice comfortable boat, used but clean and I soon settled on a couch with my feet tucked under me, so my back didn't need to touch the backrest.

"Okay so you wanted to know what happened on the island?"  
"Yes"  
"One condition, for each thing we tell you, you tell us something"  
Shit, could I do that, did I want to do that? The problem was I was too curious about what they knew to be able to turn down the condition and reluctantly nodded my head.

"Good. Okay when that asshole Eric lost sight of you he started shouting for help, I think some of the guards thought he couldn't swim so ignored him, but when he couldn't see you and swam back for shore the guards tried to see where you'd gone. I could hear the shouting, that's when I slunk out of the compound and hid in the rocks to watch what would happen next. There were some other men who came down from the house and shouted at the guards to come down from the cliffs and the next thing there was gunfire, they just shot at everyone leaving them for dead on the beach. I'm not sure what they thought happened to you, whether you escaped or drowned, but next thing there were people leaving the house and heading for the helicopter with a few of the guards"  
"So he left the place?"  
"Yes, it's totally deserted, your turn now"  
I really didn't know where to begin, did I start with Gavin and what happened in the warehouse or when I was taken in Athens?

"I'm a Bounty Hunter in Trenton New Jersey and the FTA I was after was the Boss's son. I didn't know that then"  
"What's an FTA?"  
"When someone makes bail they have to appear in court later, if they miss that court date they become Failure To Appear"  
"Wow, his son, the Boss's son?"  
"Yeah, look it's hard to explain and it seems a ridiculous situation, but when I followed him I found an older guy and three younger men, and well there were crates of weapons so I called it in"  
"Who to?"  
"Emergency services, the police"

"Go on"

"Well there was gun firing and some explosions and I cuffed the older man and injured the son and then the FBI turned up and arrested them"

I could see the way her lips turned up in a smile and I looked around to see what the reaction was from the men, shit they'd think I was an incompetent idiot.

"Hell Steph I like your moves, so the Boss, why did he want you?"  
"Seems the older guy was his brother and somehow the son died"  
"Shit, so he's pissed at you?"  
"Yeah plus I obviously messed up the cache of weapons he had"

"Hell no wonder he's mad at you"  
Yeah he was mad alright, but what now, I mean I didn't think these people were stupid and maybe I'd given way too much information away, but hell, I was actually starting to like these guys.

"Roda what happens to me?"  
"We take you home"

"To Israel?"  
Did I shout that out because maybe I did, I couldn't go to Israel?

"Of course you can"  
"Out loud?"

Roda nodded as she laughed and then disappeared from the room, shit I had nothing, no passport or any form of ID, no phone or money, what the hell was I going to do when we got to Israel?  
"Steph what's wrong?  
I looked at Nadav who was quietly looking at me, shit why was I so easy to read?

"I have no passport or ID, no money or cards and no phone, how the hell am I going to get home?"

"Do you think home is the best place to be right now?"  
"Maybe, I have friends who can help"  
"Not going to happen, we'll make sure you're safe and when the time is right get you back home"

"Steph"  
I tuned to Mo as he said my name.

"You must not contact anyone by any means, you understand?"  
"Yeah, he said he'd already hacked into my email"  
At that moment Roda came back into the room obviously worried.

"We got trouble, another boat is heading this way"

Chapter  
"Nadav you take Steph downstairs and hide, Roda on the bridge with me, Elon secure the comms room"

I felt Nadav pull me to my feet, I thought maybe we were going to the medical room but when we went down another flight of stairs I think I was beginning to panic. He used a fob allowing a metal section of the wall to slide open and pulled me inside, the door sliding closed behind us. Thank god the lights came on but I wasn't expecting to see what was in front of me, it was a room similar to one of the small conference rooms at Rangeman with a large table and chairs in the center, but it was the bank of computers against one wall and a board crammed full of maps, photos and printed sheets that had me amazed. I was in their command center, where the real work took place and here in front of me was all the Intel that they had been collecting, it was like being at Rangeman when Ranger was in his tracking mode, when everything with regard to the prey was collated.

"Steph, did you hear me?"  
"No, sorry"  
"Sit down and stay quiet"  
"Don't you have cameras on deck so we can see what's going on?"  
"No, Elon will have taken them offline in case our visitors can hack our systems"  
As I sat down my hand automatically went to the back of my neck, oh god how I wished Ranger were here, he'd know what to do, he'd make everything alright. For the first time in days I felt so lost without him around. I mean I knew he was out of the country doing god knows what in some distant country but a feeling so strong overtook me, what if I never saw him again? Could I cope with that? I didn't think so, how sad was that. I felt the boat slowing down and was sure we'd stopped, now all I could do was to wait and pray it wasn't someone here to attack us or hurt us or worse still take me away again. The room seemed to be totally soundproofed because I couldn't hear a thing and as the time ticked by I became increasingly anxious, I knew I was biting my lip and I had a strong urge to get up and walk around the room but knew Nadav would get annoyed with me. Instead I began to look at the photos on the wall and the lines going to maps, were these places I knew, I didn't think so. I jumped as the door slid open and a man I hadn't seen before came in, I assumed this was Ben and was not pleased with the way he looked at me, what the hell was he so annoyed at?  
"Nadav, we're clear, but I didn't like it"  
"Why who was it?"  
Ben looked at me again, I'm sure he didn't like me and to be honest I wasn't too keen on him either. He was tall, taller than Ranger, but he was built more like Cal, all muscle and no neck, he looked like he could kill someone with just his hands. Nadav noticed the tension between us and sat down next to me, which gave me some courage to look back at Ben and into his eyes. He sighed and then sat at the opposite end of the table leaning the chair onto its back legs.

"They said they were lost, that their navigation system had gone down and just wanted to get their exact coordinates"  
"But?"  
"Too nosey, asking random questions, like how many were there of us on board, where we'd been, where we were going and then one of them tried to get through to the lower deck"

"How many?"  
"Two came on board but we counted another one on their boat"  
"What was their excuse for being out here?"  
"Fishing"  
"Yeah right"  
"They had the look of thugs to me, well built as though they could handle themselves"  
"What now?"  
"Lose the chic"  
Was he talking about me, was I the chic he wanted rid of?

"No Ben, she can help"  
I thought about that and after a quick look round the room again I thought why not? If I was good enough to work with Ranger and solve problems maybe I was good enough to work with these guys and maybe save my own neck in the process.

"I can help"  
"Oh yeah, look pretty and moan"  
Did he get the Jersey glare, he sure did.

"No. I can do searches for you and look at what you have and analyze it differently, out of the box"  
"How the hell could you do that"  
"It's what I do, have done for a company back home"  
"Ben, why don't we give her the chance to show us, you know we're running in circles at the minute, especially now that island was abandoned"

"And who's fault was that, we could have gone in there and taken the bastard out"  
"No we couldn't, we didn't have enough men or Intel to do that, hell we weren't even sure he was the man we were after"  
I watched as they argued praying Ben would relent to what Nadav was saying, I couldn't work out the dynamics of this group, just who was the boss around here?  
"Ben, you know you act impulsively, if Steph says she can help then give her a chance, what have we got to lose?"  
Ben got up suddenly from the table and walked out of the room, leaving me sat with Nadav.

"Sorry Steph, he can be an arrogant bastard at times, he's a dam good soldier and he'd always have your back, but strategizing isn't his strong suit"  
"That's okay, I can see where he's coming from"  
"So you think you can make sense of all of this?"  
"As long as it's in English I'll be fine"

"Okay, but tomorrow, it's late and you need to sleep"

As we made our way back up to the next deck I noticed that a lot of lights were turned off, was that to give the illusion that there weren't many people on board, I had no idea and to be honest I didn't care, I really was beginning to feel tired. As we rounded a corner Roda opened a door and stood in the doorway.

"You're with me Steph, I got the biggest room with two beds"  
I followed her into a room, it was bigger than I expected, with two double beds at each side and two doors opposite, I went to the bed that obviously hadn't been slept in and then got up again.  
"What's wrong?"  
"I have no clothes"

"Just use what's in there, we're a similar size"  
"Roda you're way smaller than me"  
"You taken a look at yourself recently, you're skinny, we need to feed you up"

"Can I take a shower"  
"Help yourself, I had one earlier"  
I found a T-shirt and some shorts and went into the bathroom, starting the shower while I undressed but when I went to get in I totally froze. I could feel water splashing on my face and immediately my hands went to my face, trying to drag away the cloth, my breathing hitched and suddenly I was gulping in the air believing it was my last breath. I didn't realize I'd sank to the floor, that the water on my face were now my own tears, I just couldn't breathe, couldn't stop the crushing sensation that took hold of my chest. Did I move myself or did someone else do it, because I could feel a towel around me and arms encircling me, I let out a sob as I heard a voice telling me to be calm, I so wanted Ranger, for him to tell me he was there and everything was going to be okay. I don't know how long it took me before I noticed that it was Roda sat with me and as I turned there was Mo as well.

"I'm sorry Roda I lost it"  
"You sure did, but why, what got you in such a panic?"  
"The water"  
"Water, what about the water?"  
"On my face, I kept feeling how I felt before"  
"Did he use water on you?"  
I nodded, feeling so childish.

"I know it's stupid and I know it wouldn't kill me but it felt like it would at the time"  
"Did he put a cloth over your face and tip you back?"  
I nodded at Mo as he asked the question, how would he know that?

"Hell Steph I've had that done to me, it's used as a form of torture, it's frightening and yes it terrorizes you into thinking you're drowning"  
I saw Roda frown at Mo.

"Waterboarding?"  
He nodded, and now that he said that word it incited a new panic as I remembered all the publicity surrounding the banning of it by the government.

"Is that what he did to me?"  
"How the hell did you manage to swim out into the bay?"  
"I knew I had to, or he'd never stop"  
"We would have found another way to get you out Steph if I'd have known he did that to you"  
"No, I'm out, but I don't know how to cope with it"

"Roda, help Steph with the shower but keep it away from her face"  
"Her hair?"  
"We'll do it in the sink with a jug"  
I wasn't sure how that would work, but with Roda knelt in front of me as I sat on a chair, my back to the sink, Mo gently used a jug to soak the back of my hair and then carefully allowed the front to get wet. All the time Roda had her hands on my face, forcing me to look into her eyes. It seemed to take an age but we did it, or at least they did and detaching the sprayer I managed to shower. For the first time I felt clean and in some ways proud that I'd managed to overcome that first experience with water. As Roda tidied up in the bathroom I sat next to Mo on the bed.

"Thank you for being so understanding"  
"What you went through was horrendous"  
"When did it happen to you?"  
"A few years ago, I was part of a team chasing down some terrorists and got caught. They used the same technique on me, to get me to tell them where the others were"  
"Does it get easier"  
"Yes, it takes time and courage, but I can sense that you're strong"  
I crawled into bed glad that there was a light coming from the bathroom, had Roda left it lit on purpose, to help me fight against the ghosts that came in the dark? I didn't know but it didn't stop the dreams that came, and several times I woke terrified that Nicolini had walked into the room or when the sheet seemed to come near my face I was scrambling to get rid of it.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

All in all I didn't sleep at all well and in the end got up quietly and dressed, finding some jogging bottoms and a T-shirt that fit me, I was careful not to disturb Roda, and then went in search of a coffee, I needed some caffeine to take the edge from my nerves. I eventually found the kitchen, okay I knew it was called the galley, and was pleased when I could actually work out how to use the coffee machine. As it hummed away I got out several mugs and placed them on the table, I found some milk and then sat down with a steaming coffee in my hands. I didn't hear anyone come in, geez were ex army men all the same, could they all walk silently and frighten you? Ben sat down opposite me at the small table and leaned forward, mirroring me as he held his mug.

"I'm sorry I had a go at you"  
"It's okay, I understand"  
"I still shouldn't have, not after what you went through"  
I looked up at that, had Roda or Mo told everyone?  
"I can see it in your eyes, I know the look of someone whose been through hell and trying to keep afloat"  
"What happened to you?"  
"Lone survivor, whole team got taken out, one by one I watched as they died"  
"I'm sorry"  
"Yeah well, that's why I get uptight, if the dam commander had come up with a plan and he hadn't pissed around and had actually listened to the men I think we could have all been out of there when the attack came, so since then I tend to want to move without always thinking it through"

"I think people say the same about me, I react and then end up in trouble"

"We make a good team then, we'll just have to keep each other from doing it then won't we?"  
I smiled at what he'd said and also felt a new compassion for this man, hell he'd seen so much and really he did have some right to feel that things should move quickly.

"So you want to start this research for us?"  
"Does everyone agree?"  
"Hell yeah, anyway it'll keep you out of mischief down there"  
Great, I hadn't thought about that, being in that room with no windows, it would feel like being on lockdown. Once there Ben gave me a fob and showed me how to log into a computer and the search programs they used, they weren't that dissimilar to the ones I used at Rangeman. He wrote down the names of the places for each map and then left me to it.

I put a search through on Gavin and his uncle Dario Collins, intrigued at what it would bring up, I was surprised by the detail of the men's background and had to go back to each man's photo just to be sure it was the same men I'd been with in that warehouse, and that's when I noticed that the detail in the written search didn't match the photo. No one would ever have seen it if they hadn't been so sure that something was wrong. In the description of Dario it said he had astigmatism in both eyes and had to wear glasses all of the time, I knew the Dario I had met didn't need glasses and for Gavin it said he'd been born with a cleft palate that had been operated on as a young child, there was no evidence of that correction on the photo even when I magnified the image. Okay, so who did the FBI think they'd arrested, the search didn't give any previous records through the police, Dario or maybe this was Jonas Nicolini had no previous incidents with the police, Gavin's was clean other than the driving incident which was why I was chasing him, then it hit me, why was Morelli doing a take down on that grocery store if there were no police records? Was it him who mentioned the name first or was it me? It was me, but he'd never corrected me, but then again he'd never really mentioned who he was after either. I looked into Dario's travel history and again nothing, it said he was a retired businessman, I wonder if the real Dario Collins existed and is totally unaware that someone had hijacked his identity. So maybe I'd have to come clean with the names I'd been told, Jonas and Demetri Nicolini, I hesitated because I knew once I input those names I'd have nothing to bargain with if things went wrong for me with the Israelis, on the other hand if they were after him then surely they'd make sure he could never hurt me again. In the end I decided to focus on the maps and information on the boards. It seemed the Israelis were following through leads from where any weapons had turned up at and trying to find the middlemen and transport routes that were being used, I assumed so that eventually they would come to the head of the pyramid that was maybe Nicolini. I wondered how they had come to know about where that island was and did they really know he would be there or did they think he was just another cog in the wheel, shit could it be that Nicolini wasn't the main boss? Was there another level above him? So if they were following the weapons from their final destination and back tracking them then maybe I could find something else to follow, another thread. I took down some of the maps from the wall and notes that went with them, thanking them for writing things in English, not being fully aware of the places and groups the weapons had ended up with, as I read I realized just how paranoid they were over security, every country they bordered with seemed to be mentioned. Hamas, the terror organization in control of the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a terrorist organization in Gaza, who had made significant efforts in the past year to rebuild their military capabilities. Hamas had also tried to rebuild its terror network in the Judea and Samaria area as well. Security forces had arrested multiple terror cells for plotting attacks against Israeli civilians. The Golan Heights on the Israeli-Syrian border where people and soldiers were taken hostage by the al-Nusra Front in September 2014 was another example of the nearness of the Syrian Civil War and terrorist organizations to Israeli territory. And then Hezbollah's stronghold in southern Lebanon, the evidence suggesting the terrorist organization was repeatedly using its infrastructure located in the area for lethal purposes.

That didn't include the Ansar Bait al-Maqdis an extremist militant group – which recently pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, though I couldn't work out where they were supposed to be based. Hell there had been so much information collected; it must have taken an age to follow all these leads.

I remembered something that Ranger had always told me, follow the money, the money tells you the who and often the what and the where. I went back to the searches on the Collins but there was no evidence of excessive spending or income so on a sigh I was about to input the name that I dreaded, Nicolini, when I stopped and delved into the family of Dario Collins, according to this search he had an older brother called Dennis, interesting, so Dennis Collins went into the search. I almost fell back from my chair when the photo of the man came onto the screen, because there in front of me was a photo of the man who had called himself Demetri Nicolini. I felt my skin go cold as I looked into his eyes, as I remembered him walking through the door, his voice as he talked to me and then the fear as I remembered what he'd done. I closed my eyes and dropped my head to my knees, come on Stephanie, you can do this, you can help find him and help finish him, this is just a photo, a photo can't hurt you. Feeling more solid I moved the mouse to get rid of the photo so now I could read through the information, okay that was better, and I could now see a similar pattern to the brother, a pretty normal background with one marriage and a son, a son called Gavin. According to this search Dennis Collins had worked in the fire service until he took early retirement and now lived down somewhere in Florida. I sat back from the computer and decided to print the searches out while I thought and once printed collected the papers and a highlighter and lay down on the floor, as my back touched the floor I suddenly remembered about the welts on my back but gravity took over and I actually sighed with relief when I discovered they didn't hurt as much as I thought they would. Think Stephanie, something was niggling at me and as I concentrated on thinking I found myself drifting into sleep.

Chapter

I felt soft touches on my cheek and could imagine Ranger bent over me, touching me gently, when the reality struck and my eyes opened wide to see Mo knelt down beside me.

"Didn't mean to scare you, but I didn't know how else to wake you without frightening you"  
I didn't reply as I turned to collect together the papers.

"You look to have been busy, so did you find anything?"  
As I took in the look on his face it annoyed me, the arrogant bastard didn't think I would be able to do something they couldn't do.

"Yeah I have a photo of the man on the island"

Saying that I took the papers with me and walked out of the room, yeah I had a quick look back to see his expression change and then once he fully digested what I'd said he was quickly running after me.

"Steph, you mean the man we think is the boss?"  
"Yeah, but don't be premature, he may be just another link up the chain"  
I carried on up the stairs with him still in pursuit.

"Steph are you going show us?"  
"Maybe"  
I smiled as I said it and he knew then that I would.

"I'll get the others together, meet me in the lounge area"  
I paid a visit to the bathroom and tidied my hair, it wasn't long enough to tie back anymore, maybe if someone tidied it up a bit and made both sides the same length I could live with it until it grew out, the back though was really short in comparison. I could hear voices as I walked into the lounge area and everyone turned to look at me, all of them expecting some sort of revelation. Sitting down I passed out the search on Gavin first.

"He was my FTA"  
"This one is a photo of his uncle, the man who was arrested and this is his brother the man who took me"

"Shit Steph, I never got anywhere near him, I just worked in the kitchen area, but looking at this, maybe he was the one who left so suddenly"  
"It's okay Roda, you did a dam good job just getting yourself in there"  
"It says here he's called Dennis Collins"  
"No Roda that isn't his name, I'm working on that"  
"Steph why did you say he might just be another link up the chain?"  
"A feeling, I don't know why yet, but I think there's someone above him"  
"Shit Mo, I thought we were close"  
"Ben we're closer, I need more time, there's something niggling at the back of my head, but I need to play around with it"  
"What can we do?"  
"Mo, can you find out where the brother is and what he was charged with and maybe if he's had any visitors or phone calls?"  
I knew Hector could find out any of those things or Ranger would call a contact he had, but these guys, I had no idea how good they were.

"Maybe, I'd have to call in a favor"

"What else Steph?"  
"Well to get me on a wild goose chase someone pretended to be my Grandmother, Edna Mazuur, they booked hotels and flights in her name, so as a very good friend of mine told me, follow the money"  
"So you want me to find out where the money came from for those?"  
"Yes Roda"  
"Okay, I'll give it a go, can you write down the dates and addresses?"  
I nodded then looked at Nadav.

"Nadav there was a guy at Heathrow airport who conveniently latched onto me, he told me his name was Carl Johnson and that he'd just got in from Washington"  
"You think he was waiting for you?"  
"Maybe, I just don't like coincidences, but I can't remember anything about him, I mean he showed me ID, but they could have been fake"  
"No problem as long as I know the date and time you arrived I can see if he is who he says he is"

"Ben, there was a taxi driver in Athens who took me to the port and he supposedly burnt all of my possessions, he was called Barak"  
"Long shot Steph, common name and lots of taxis in that city"  
"Okay"  
"No I'll look"

I smiled across at Ben, he would do it and if anyone could find him he could. I lent forward because there was something else I wanted to know, but I wasn't sure if I would like the answer or not, and could I ask someone else to do it?"  
"What's got you worried?"

I looked over at Elon who seemed to think he was next in line for a job to do.  
"I know this may not seem important and I don't know if I should ask, it's just that, well it seemed strange at the time"  
"Spit it out, if it's nothing then no harm done, right?"  
"Well it's just that $100,000 was deposited into my account and I think I'd like to know where it came from"  
"Where were you told it came from?"  
"My mother said she cashed in some policies"  
"Shit Steph"  
"Yeah, am I being shitty for doubting her?"  
"No way, and if she did, then as I said no harm done"

"Okay, I'll write down my bank details"  
Nadav stood up and looked around at all of us.

"It's time to eat, we'll start on these in the morning"  
I hadn't realized what time it was, hell I hadn't eaten anything all day, I mean that just wasn't like me, I loved my food, I needed food, so I was as keen as everyone else to go through to the deck to eat. I was amazed at all the different dishes on the table and as I sat down was curious what they were, and was really keen to try them. As Nadav lifted the lid from each dish he explained what they were.

"Quinoa salad with pistachios and currants"

"Charred eggplant with chermoula"

"Grilled lamb kufta kebabs"

"Chopped Israeli salad"

"Israeli-style hummus and pita bread"

"Wow Nadav these look and smell amazing"  
"Enjoy Tsaphaniah"

I did, I loved each and every dish that was in front of me, but only taking small samples of each and this time there was laughing and talking as we ate together, I felt at ease with them and somehow now a part of the group, was I wrong to think that, had I fallen too easily for who I thought they were? By the end of the meal as I looked around I had no bad feelings about them, I felt like I did with the men at Rangeman, as though I was one of them and that they had accepted me. This time after we'd cleared away the dishes I sat with Roda looking out at the night sky, it was a beautiful night, the stars were brighter than I could ever remember and tonight there was no moon to be seen. The breeze was warm as we silently went through our own thoughts'

"So who is he?"  
"Who"  
"Your boyfriend"  
"I don't have one"  
"I don't believe you"  
"No honestly"  
"Well I'd say there's someone you're very close to"  
"Maybe, but we're not in a relationship"  
"Why not"  
"It's, complicated"  
"I see the look in your eyes, how you disappear into your head, how your behavior changes when you know it's not him near to you"  
"Yeah well, a girl can dream. What about you and Mo?"  
"It's, complicated"  
"How?"  
"Look at the job we do, one of us could be killed at any minute"  
"So don't regret the time you have together then"  
"I suppose you're right"

"Where are we actually going, because I thought by now we would have arrived somewhere"  
"After that boat came across us we decided to stay away from home, you know not have any reason for them to know where we're from, but tomorrow we'll need fuel so we need to decide which port to call in at"

That made sense and to be honest I felt safe with these people so whatever they decided would be fine with me.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I know I didn't sleep well again, and with all the talk with Roda about Ranger he'd played his part. I had vivid memories of each time he'd virtually shunned me and when he said I had to go back to Morelli, but it was Nicolini who was standing waiting for me. It was a repeat of the previous morning, waking up early and getting dressed to go make coffee for everyone. I found myself alone again downstairs in the workroom but now I had an idea to follow. I was going to try and track that old woman, the mother, the one whom I was sure had impersonated my Grandmother, the one who cut my hair and watched as her son beat me. I was also really curious how Nicolini had chosen the name Collins as his alias, especially when it appeared that the family already existed. Did he know them somehow and see them as a safe cover. I used my previous search and found the name of the mother, Annis Collins, but when the photo of Annis Collins came up it didn't match with my memory of what she looked like, so maybe Nicolini hadn't thought that anyone would look for his mother, so I input Annis Nicolini and there she was, the witch and underneath it gave the names of her two sons. So now what, did that help or not? I suppose now I was too far along not to put Demetri and Jonas Nicolini into a search so in they went while I waited for their mother's to print out. As I collected the papers from the printer I felt a juddering from the engines and a bumping from the side, had we hit something or had something hit us? I stacked the papers on the table and then decided to go find out what was happening. I shut down the computer and left the room, locking the door I started for the stairs surprised to see Roda coming down.

"There you are, come on you need to change"

"Why, what's happening?"

"We're putting into port to get some fuel but we also need some fresh supplies"

"So where exactly are we?"

"Marseilles"

"France?"  
"Yeah, come on, go get changed"  
I looked down at what I was wearing, I supposed joggers and a big T-shirt weren't exactly suitable for walking around in. Roda followed me up to our cabin and in fact she was already taking things out of the closet. Dark blue cut off jeans and a pale blue V necked T- shirt, but then she took out a gilet as well.

"Why this?"  
"It's a bullet proof vest, good isn't it?"

I didn't even bother to answer her, I mean did she think we were going to get shot at, was it that dangerous out there? I saw the look Roda gave me and when she laughed I scowled.

"Steph it's just a safety precaution, we shouldn't have any problems here"

She obviously didn't know me or the bad luck that just seemed to follow me around.

Once on deck I was surprised at how many boats there were, whilst we were amongst a lot of other smaller boats and yachts I could see the main port in the distance with the large container ships and cranes used to empty and load them. As we walked down the gangplank onto the quay I turned back to look at the boat that had become my home for the past few days.

It wasn't the most beautiful boat compared to those surrounding it, a bit shabby on the outside, but I knew that would be to try and disguise its true nature. There was no evidence of any high tech equipment but I liked it, large and white with black and copper trim, it gave the impression of being a pleasure craft that maybe rented out to tourists wanting to cruise up and down the Med. Roda passed me a dark blue cap and sunglasses so with my hair pushed underneath and the glasses on I was ready to go.

Ben came with us leaving Nadav to refuel the boat and then keep an eye on her, I wasn't sure where Mo and Elon had disappeared to, I was just pleased to be walking on ground that wasn't moving. Roda certainly knew where she was going and twenty minutes later we were stood with a large trolley in front of a hypermarket. It was big and it was busy and I never got chance to properly look at anything, Roda was on a mission, get in, pick up what we needed and get out, that suited Ben fine, he didn't seem to be comfortable with the crowds and to be honest I started to feel the same. As we finished paying and were stood outside I looked down at the vast quantity of food and drink on the trolley.

"How are we going to get all this back to the boat?"  
"Ben will take it all in a taxi and unload it, we'll head to where Mo is"

"What's Mo doing?"  
"Meeting some contact, something to do with that information you wanted"  
I watched as she sent a message to someone on her phone, hell I wished I could talk to someone and find out what was going on back home and maybe let them know I was all right, well reasonably all right. Maybe talk to my Grandmother to be sure nothing had happened to her. This time we strolled using a different route, stopping every so often to look into a shop window or peruse as we passed through a market area. I kept close to Roda, I didn't know why but I was starting to feel a little anxious, were those spidey senses of mine coming through?  
"Roda"  
"Yeah"  
"I have a horrible feeling"  
"About what?"  
"I don't know, I just feel that something's wrong"

"Okay, so let's say I believe this feeling of yours, we'll do some detours and make sure nothing's amiss"  
So we walked through shops, round in circles in a market area and eventually came out into a crowded square that was full of tables and chairs with mainly old men sat outside.

"Shit, I think you were right, come on let's go in through the backdoor"  
"Roda, what's wrong?"  
"I think I just saw one of those men that were on the island"  
Was I panicking, yes, but I didn't say anything as we headed down a thin passageway coming out into a yard full of bottle crates and barrels.

"Take this and hide out in that doorway"

She handed me a gun that I immediately slid into my pocket and started to turn away leaving me watching her back as she disappeared through another door, I had no idea where she was going and she was too far away for me to shout out. I went to where she suggested and crouched down trying to see what was around me but knowing I had to keep out of sight. Seconds seemed to roll into minutes when a movement caught my eye, shit she was right, but why did it have to be him, Eric? As I leaned back against the door I felt it move with me and okay maybe not one of my best ideas, but I had to move away from that man, the thought that he was here gave me palpitations, did that mean Nicolini was somewhere near? I carefully pushed the door open and backed through the small entry it gave me and then quietly pushed the door closed. I was surprised there was some light from hanging bulbs, not much but enough to see by, so ventured further in. A set of wooden stairs led down and soon I was stood amongst racks of wine, barrels of beer and crates of bottles. Further investigation showed that the place was enormous and as I progressed further inside I found my self in a long room with more boxes and crates. Ah shit, did I recognize the crates? Surely not, surely Mo would know if weapons were being kept down here. I hid between two crates and then waited, listening for any sound. The sound of creaking on the stairs told me someone was coming down and then another sound behind me startled me, did they know I was here or was it again just my bad luck to be here when men were going to be talking about guns, somehow my hand was around the gun from my pocket held in front of me, I wasn't sure when I'd done that but maybe now I was prepared to use it, I hoped so anyway.

Several things all happened at once, I felt a figure appear behind me, obscured in the shadows and a noise came from in front of me, I turned holding the gun ready to shoot, but it was a third person I saw, stood behind the figure in the shadows that got my attention. It was the other man who had been in the building with Eric, I didn't know his name and I didn't care, he was aiming a gun at the man in the shadows so instinctively I pulled the trigger. At the same moment I thought I heard two shots, I'm sure one went whizzing past my head, but the second one hit me square in the back, as I flew forward my head hit the corner of a crate and that was the last I remembered before hitting the ground and the world turning black.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

RPOV

I couldn't believe that after two months we were still trying to chase down a man the government said was dangerous to national security, how the hell they came by the Intel they had baffled me because having chased shadows in southern America I was now being asked to team up with a group from Israel's Sayeret Matkal, yeah they were good, but what the hell it had to with the orders I had was baffling and worrying. I didn't want to be here being diplomatic with them but the powers to be had insisted that the Israelis were maybe chasing the same man that as I was. No one could find him and so far no one seemed to know what he looked like, I found that ridiculous until I was charged with the job of finding him and putting him out of business. I assumed that he was also selling his wares to someone threatening Israel, though to date things had been very quiet there, maybe though with the countries that bordered Israel they felt susceptible to threats from a range of groups. Apparently any group who dealt with this man had the potential to do untold damage, exactly what that was I still wasn't sure and was beginning to get an uneasy feeling about it. I'd been travelling for what seemed like hours with the last leg of my journey by helicopter, I'd managed to catch some sleep but still felt weary, I was getting too old for this shit, there had to be younger and fitter men who could take my place and I wanted to think that I could maybe have a life, not having to constantly worry if the next mission would finish me off. I was missing being back home in Trenton, how the hell Trenton had become home I didn't know, I mean Miami should be somewhere I had more affiliation to. I knew that's where I spent my teenage years, where I suppose I eventually grew up and where Julie was, but Trenton held a certain blue eyed curly haired brunette that drew me like a magnet and I didn't know why. She wasn't the type of woman I would normally be attracted to, I usually went for dark hair and brown eyes, and yeah maybe it was just their bodies that had attracted me to them, a one night stand, no strings attached which usually suited both of us. I thought about what drew me to Steph, she was a ray of sunshine in my life, so honest so determined and yes so stubborn, if she wasn't making me laugh at her zany ways or worrying me to death when she got into trouble then she was beguiling me with her sexy moves and to be honest I was finding it very hard to stay away from her. Would I have been so attentive to her if she wasn't with Morelli? I didn't know and maybe that was a problem I needed to square away, would I still be so attracted to her? I knew she kept a distance between us but was that because of what I'd said to her or was I a temptation she fell for when Morelli wasn't around, if I had my time again would I say the things I'd said to her again? As I looked out of the window of the helicopter, I thought it didn't really matter because here I was again in a situation where I might not survive and I couldn't put anyone through that, that's why I kept my family at a distance and why I had to do the same with Steph but right now I would give anything to swap places with Morelli and be that safe man she needed in her life.

The helicopter was just dropping me off and then I had to make my way to the rendezvous point and again a feeling of frustration overtook me. I just hoped their English was good because Hebrew was not a language I was good at, Arabic maybe. I caught a taxi to the harbor area and once on foot detoured around the streets, between the shops heading toward a bar that had been agreed on. Why meetings had to be in dives I couldn't understand, those places were where a stranger stood out a mile from the locals. I watched the bar from a distance and saw two men who seemed out of place, yeah that would be the Israelis; so trying to blend in I followed them in and joined one of them at the bar. I turned to him as I sat down and used the pre-arranged phrase that would ensure he was in fact the man I was supposed to meet.

"It's a nice day for sailing"

"Welcome to Marseilles"  
I nodded my head at the man and shook his hand; until I knew what was going on I could wait before divulging anything I knew. He led me down to an area behind the bar and invited me to sit down, there was one other man already sat there and to be honest I got the feeling they'd made a break through.

"Thank you for agreeing to work with us. My name is Moshe, but please call me Mo. This is Elon, Ben and Nadav are refueling the boat and helping get fresh supplies"

Again I didn't say anything but lifted the beer in front of me to pretend to take a drink but as I replaced it on the table a pretty dark haired girl came up to Mo and sat across his knee. The way he wrapped his arms around her gave me the impression he knew her so I watched as she lowered her mouth to his ear, obviously whispering something to him and from the look on Mo's face I'd say it wasn't good.

"Get back to the boat, but be careful, call Ben to get himself here"  
"What's happened"  
"We have a problem out back, Elon with me"  
That said they both got up and moved through the room toward the back leaving me sat there, me, I returned through the front door and veered down an alley way, I'd seen a hatch cover from my earlier surveillance assuming it was a way down into the cellars. A quick look around gave no reason to think I'd been seen so I carefully opened the hatch and making sure the area beneath me was clear climbed down the ramp into the cellar. It was eerily quiet as I found an area to hide in away from the ramp but then as my eyes adjusted to the light I could see the outline of a figure ahead of me, my gun was ready in my hand waiting to see what might happen, after all it could just be a worker fetching something up for the bar. I waited and watched and was taken by surprise when the figure stood up and pointed a gun in my direction but then several things all happened at once. A sound behind me distracted me and I felt a bullet whizz past my head followed by the thump of the body on the ground, the shooter had seen this man and shot at him, so obviously they weren't firing at me and then I saw another figure, a man, raise his gun and point it toward the shooter, as he fired so did I aiming for his head, pleased to see him fall but then I watched, as if in slow motion, the shooter fall to the ground catching their head on a crate and knocking their hat off. All I saw were brown curls and my heart started to race, logic told me it was another woman with similar features, but as I kneeled and turned her over my breath caught, here in my arms was the body of the woman I so desperately needed. I sat down and then wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into my body, her head on my shoulders and her body curled into mine as I tried to search for where she was injured. I was so intent on what I was doing I never heard anyone approach but I did hear the safety catches of four guns simultaneously release and knew I had four guns pointing at us.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

I closed my eyes for what was about to come but when someone tried to lift Steph from me I held on tighter and growled at them, I looked up to see an enormous man bent ready to take her, no way was I going to let that happen, he looked over me to someone else as if waiting for his next order and that's when I heard a voice I recognized.

"Ranger what's with you, she's with us"  
With them, how the hell was that possible, she should be at home in Trenton. I carefully stood up, still cradling Steph in my arms and turned to see Mo, Elon and a black guy putting their guns away.

"What's with you, let Ben take her for Nadav to check her over"  
He nodded toward the black man and I walked toward him, assuming he was their medic.

"What happened?"  
"She got hit in the back but then fell and hit her head"  
As Nadav looked at her head I could feel movement coming from Steph, she was tense and agitated obviously frightened of something so as Nadav finished cleaning the cut on her head I bent down to whisper in her ear.

"Babe, you're okay, you're safe. The bad men aren't here anymore"  
I felt her relax, knowing her she'd fall asleep, she never had been good with adrenaline rushes.

"Ranger we need to get back to the boat and head out of port"  
"If she's with you then so am I"  
If Mo looked surprised I didn't give a shit, fate had obviously brought us together and I would stay with her as long as I could.

"Okay, okay, let's get going before we have company"  
"You notice the crates Mo?"  
"Yeah Ranger, shit how the hell did we end up finding them?"  
"If you had Steph with you then I'd say it was her doing"  
"You know her?"  
"Oh yes"

The journey to the port and back to the boat went smoothly, once we established that the gunfire hadn't attracted anyone's attention and the rear of the bar was clear we quickly walked through the crowds without any problems. I was surprised at how Ben kept himself in front of me as I carried Steph, it was almost as if he was putting himself between her and anyone who might even look at her let alone threaten her. Once on board I followed Nadav down to the infirmary and laid Steph down on the bed.

"She gave her head a hard knock but maybe we need to see what damage that bullet did"  
Sitting next to her I lifted her up to lean against me and between us we removed what was a bullet proof vest, Nadav brought out some scissors and cut up the back of her T-shirt so he could see what damage was there.

"How is she?"  
"Bruised as you'd expect, hell she's only just got over the other damage"  
What damage? I leaned her further toward me and looked down at her back, seeing long jagged scars across her, they looked new but were healing, but to me they looked like someone had taken a whip to her.

"Nadav explain"  
"Maybe you should ask her"  
"Who did this?"  
"Not sure if it was the man we're after"  
"Why, how?"  
"Look Ranger we got her out and patched her up if you want answers then you'll need to ask her. Oh and by the way he did something else to her that didn't leave any scars, just giving you the heads up on that"  
"Did they rape her?"  
"No"  
I held her close closing my eyes absorbing the feeling of her in my arms so when I felt her moving I knew she was waking up.

"Babe you going to wake up for me?"  
There was a shake of her head.

"Hey I want to see those eyes looking at me"  
"No, no, no"

I held her face against my chest, a light laugh spilling from my lips but then was mystified when her hand came up and tried to move my shirt from her face. I kissed her lightly on her forehead and tried again.

"Babe, if you want to see me you have to open your eyes"  
I watched as her eyelids fluttered and her eyes began to open, then as she stared into my chest. I used a finger under her chin to tilt her head up so that I could sink into those eyes. She stared at me and then was almost shaking her head as if trying to get rid of something then as she really focused on me I saw her eyes watering and felt as she flung her arms around me before I heard loud sobs coming from her.

"She's needed to do that since we found her, take her next door where it's more private and comfortable"

I stood up taking her with me, her legs wrapping like a vice around me and followed Nadav out of the room and into one next door. I sat with my back to the headboard and pulled up a sheet to cover her, there was no other way for us both to be comfortable. I stroked her hair as she continued to sob, noticing how short it was at the back, had she cut it because it seemed to be different lengths? I felt the throbbing of the engines turning over and the gentle sway as we left the dock. Steph's sobbing was now reducing being taken over by her hiccupping, hell, sat here holding her I felt surprisingly content, no more than that, I felt a weight had been lifted from me as I realized just how important she was to me, when this was over I swore I wasn't going to push her away ever again, I'd even go up against Morelli if it came to it.

"I'm sorry"  
"What for?"  
"Breaking down and crying all over you"  
"Babe, you obviously needed the release because I hear you've had a difficult time"  
I was waiting for a reply and was surprised that she'd gone quiet, I checked to see if she'd fallen asleep but found her staring across the room.

"You gonna tell me what's been going on?"  
"It's complicated"  
"I've got a lot of time here to listen"  
"Are you going away again?"  
"I don't know"  
I know I sighed at that response and felt I owed her an explanation, maybe then she'd be more willing to talk.

"I got called up to track down a man so I've spent a lot of time down in South America, then an order came through that I had to work with an Israeli team, so here I am"  
"I was looking for Grandma"  
"What had she been up to?"  
"Well we heard she was wanted for shooting someone, but she disappeared and I ended up going after her"  
"Where did you go?"  
"London, Paris and then Athens"  
"Did you find her?"  
"No, but this man found me, he said he set it up so I'd end up in Athens"  
"Who was he?"  
"He said his name was Demetri Nicolini"

"Why would he want to hurt you?"  
"He said I got his son killed and his brother arrested and probably wrecked his arms deal"  
"Tell me from the beginning"  
So she did, how she caught up with Gavin Collins an FTA, but ended up in a warehouse full of weapons along with an older man. Only my Babe could end up somewhere where shooting happened that created explosions, but that the FBI had saved the day. I was interested in how her mother had persuaded her to chase after her Grandmother and how she'd followed the clues from city to city but my blood boiled when she recounted what he'd done to her, the marks on her back and the cutting off of her hair. That the Israelis had someone undercover in the camp was sheer luck for Steph and I was so thankful that they'd got her out. When she finished though I knew she'd left something out, and not because of what Nadav had said.  
"Babe there's something else isn't there?"  
"How do you know?"  
"Because I know you, what aren't you telling me?"  
She went very quiet, obviously thinking through what to say, I waited because I knew eventually she would tell me.

"It sounds stupid and when I say it out loud seems crazy that I reacted the way I did"  
"So explain then, I won't think you're crazy, not if it has you so worried and scared"

"They tied me to a chair and tipped me back, and then a put a cloth over my face. When I started to feel water on my face I couldn't understand what was happening but then I couldn't breathe, it was such an horrendous feeling"  
The bastard had used an old torture technique one I was familiar with from both sides, but hell it was an excruciating feeling and left a fear that could take hold of you for quite some time. I pulled her to me and kissed her forehead, what the hell did I say to help her?  
"Babe I've had that done to me so I know how bad it is and how little things afterwards can make you suddenly afraid"  
"I'm scared of the shower"  
"We'll work that one out"

"The guys here have been good to me, well once we sussed each other out, I was so frightened they would send me back to him, and that man today, he was part of it"  
"That was a hell of a shot Babe"  
"I saw his eyes and knew I couldn't let him near me"  
"You saved my life Babe, do you know that?"  
"Nah, you would have sensed him and got him first"  
"I'm not too sure"  
"Will you stay and hold me?"  
"Of course"  
I felt her relax against me and knew she was asleep, that was something that always amazed me about her, the way she would only allow herself to sleep when she knew she was safe. I carefully moved her down the bed until she was curled up around a pillow and then stood up to stretch, hell what a day this had turned into. After a quick shower I sat on a chair watching her sleep, she didn't know it, but she could chase away my demons like I did hers. I turned as the door opened and saw the woman come into the room.

"You go talk with Mo, I'll sit with her"  
"Promise to come fetch me when she wakes up"  
"I will"  
I walked out of the room not really knowing where I was going but eventually found the men sat down in a lounge area on the top deck, as they looked up at me they fell silent until I was seated.

"How is she?"  
"Doing okay"

"Did you know she was here?"  
"I had no idea, I thought she was at home"  
"Yeah well she's certainly been through a lot, how will she hold up?"  
"She'll bounce back, she'll be upset then get annoyed and then she'll go into bloodhound mode"

"She's good then"  
"Always gets her man"  
"She may have found ours, though for some reason she thinks he isn't the top man"  
"Why does she think that?"  
"She said it was just a feeling"  
"Her instincts are usually spot on. So what have you got?"  
"A photo, Steph was still digging around and she password protected her work"  
"Well it's something to look at in the morning"  
"What is?"

I looked up as Steph and the woman came into the room taking her hand and pulling her down next to me, yeah I was fully prepared to show these guys she was with me, even though I asked myself where the hell that impulse had come from.

"Finish the Intel collecting"  
"So Mo what was it that you wanted my involvement with?"

"Steph here wanted to know about the brother in prison, what he was arrested for, where he was and any contact he'd had with anyone"  
"I can get that, what else?"

"You got anyone working with you?"  
"Not officially"  
"I was just"  
We all turned as Ben came into the room.

"Radar picked up a vessel following us, and it's moving in"

"Ben it could just be another boat"  
"No, I think it's the same one from the other night"

"What happened with it?"  
"This boat caught up with us but we didn't like the feel of the men on board"  
"You got diving gear on board?"  
"Of course, what you thinking?"  
"Put down the anchor and let them get closer then we'll pay them a visit"  
"Sounds like a plan to me, Ben you stay on the bridge Elon and I will go with you"  
"What about us?"  
"You and Roda stay downstairs where you can't be seen"

"Babe why don't I walk down with you?"

On the way downstairs I could tell she was anxious, what was it she was so afraid of? Making sure she was inside a workroom with Roda I left to find Mo.

"Ranger"

Turning I saw the woman I now knew as Roda.

"She's scared"  
"What of?"  
"Losing you"  
I stood still as she turned and closed the door, what did she mean by that, I mean Steph had never before expressed that concern to me, something else to figure out when this was done.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

As I expected as soon as we anchored a boat appeared within sight, we donned wet suits and silently slid into the water, and then once deep enough swam across to the boat. It was an old looking boat, probably a cheap rental which had me puzzled, surely if it was anything to do with that man he'd have the best equipment that money could buy. Mo swam to the port side, I was at the stern and Elon was starboard, as agreed at precisely 22.45 we each started to climb on board. I quietly removed my tanks and mask laying them under a tarpaulin and then with a knife in my hand started toward the main salon, where by the looks of it some men were sat talking. Taking a low position under a window I listened to what was being said, for some reason the voices sounded familiar and then I heard terms that could only come from one group of people.  
"I aint giving up on getting Beautiful back"  
"No one said that, we need to find out who we're up against"  
"Not easy, I'm pretty sure they know we're following them"  
"Who the hell are they?"

"Not sure"  
"Look just make sure you don't come back without Little Girl"  
"I won't, talk tomorrow"  
How the hell were they here and what had happened to make them look out here. I saw Mo approaching the other side and held up a hand to stop him and then made the decision to just walk in and hope they didn't shoot me.

"You lost Steph Santos?"  
I watched as he drew a weapon and then as he turned pale.

"Ranger, what the fuck, what the fuck are you doing here?"  
"Answer the question first"  
"Well not exactly, I mean I'm pretty sure where she is"  
I took a seat and then indicated for Mo and Elon to come in, Mo was looking back and forth between me and Santos obviously confused with the turn of events.

"You mean you know them?"  
"I know them, but believe me I had no idea they were here"  
I looked around the room seeing Hector sat grinning at Santos, I wondered who was up front.

"Santos, you gonna explain?"  
"Sorry. Well we knew Steph had gone to Europe, something about bringing her Grandmother back. Hector kept a check on her trackers but when Mrs. Mazuur turned up back home and there was no sign of Steph we got worried. Then I got an email saying she was going to stay for a while and make the most of being there, the email felt off, it didn't read like Steph had sent it and then her trackers disappeared so we headed out to the last position they were at. Weird place, not somewhere she would have gone, a warehouse down in the rough end of Athens. So we hired this boat to take a look around and ask around, on our way we heard about this island where some nutcase lived. Not a lot there other than dead bodies and that had us really worried but then we saw this boat on the radar obviously heading away from there, so here we are"  
Hell, I didn't know whether Steph would be pleased to see them or mortified that they'd been tracking her, probably both knowing her, but now what? I knew Santos had clearance to work with me but not Hector, but maybe if they were working to find and protect Steph we could

work together, it was the Israelis I was concerned about. I could see Mo trying to fathom something out and I think he was probably thinking along the same lines as me.

"Ranger are these guys reliable?"  
"Yeah, Santos is still cleared to work, who's up front Santos?"  
"Ram, so he has clearance as does Tank and maybe a few others back home"  
"So you're saying you tracked Steph, why?"  
Santos looked at me before answering that question from Mo, I knew this could be interesting.

"Well Steph is part of our family, she has an amazing personality and well, we all love her, but she has a habit of getting into awkward situations, and some of the people she comes across end up trying to hurt her, so we make sure she stays safe. Plus if anything happened to her when Ranger was away he'd probably kill one of us"

Even though the last sentence was said in a rush I could see that Mo and Elon picked up on the meaning and when said like that I realized just how much she did mean to me, and to my men.

"So now you know Steph is safe what do you expect to happen?"

Santos looked at me and I could see him working through possible solutions.

"Ideally take her home, but knowing Steph she won't want that"  
"Why not?"  
"She'll want to find whoever took her"  
"Shit Ranger, how are we going to work this out?"  
"All I'll tell my handler is that we have a viable lead and are working to follow it"  
"The lead being Steph?"  
"Yes"  
"And these men, sorry Santos and Ram and him?"  
"I'm using every resource available"  
"I suppose if say a similar story it could work"  
"It'll work"

"Ranger is Beautiful okay?"  
"She got hurt pretty bad but seems to be pulling through it"

"Shit, I knew the whole thing with her Grandmother was off"  
"Mo did Steph ask for your team to find information out for her?"  
"Yes, that's why our boss got in touch with yours"  
"So use Hector for some of it, he can get into most systems undetected"  
"What was it she needed?"  
I looked to Mo for an answer because I had absolutely no idea.

"There's a man who she knows is the brother of the boss on the island, he's been arrested, she wants Intel on him. And then she was upset that her Grandmother was a suspect for murder so wants background on that, but the real strange one was wanting to know where her mother got $100,000 to enable her to travel"

"That's a lot of money to get your hands on"  
"Okay, Hector you get the info from the prison, Santos follow the money and ask Tank to get the low down on that murder"

"They can do that?"  
"Yes Mo, maybe if one of your team works with them?"

"Okay, we need to get back before Ben comes here to rescue us"  
"I'll get Ram to pull alongside, just make sure Ben can see you and doesn't open fire"

As the boat approached I could see Ben at the helm and Nadav stood to the side a gun in his hand but as they saw Mo and Elon they seemed to relax. We moored the boats together and I went on board, I needed to let Steph know I was back and what had happened. I found the workroom door and knocked on it not realizing it needed a fob to open it and as it slid open Roda was stood there a gun in her hand.

"Is every one okay?"  
"Yes Roda, we didn't have any problems"  
"Ranger are they going to be a problem?"  
"No Babe, come on I have something to show you"  
"Me?"

I took her hand and together we went up onto the deck, I noticed how nervous she was when she saw the boat.

"Is it safe?"  
We carefully crossed the short gap onto the other boat and I guided her into the salon area, as Santos stood up I heard her squeal and she rushed into his arms, him swirling her around. Then as Hector came in she dropped to the floor allowing him to embrace her.

"It was you guys following us?"  
"Yeah, that first time we approached I knew we wouldn't get on"  
"But how are you here?"  
"Looking for you Beautiful"

I saw the tears in her eyes as she hugged Santos again and heard her whispering to him, with a kiss to her head he released her and held her at arms length.

"Nice hair cut"  
I saw her look down at her feet and Santos knew he'd said something wrong and for once he didn't have some smart ass comment to make, he must have seen it in her eyes, because he wrapped his arms around her and apologized.

"Not your fault Lester, anyway I am so glad to see you, so what happens now?"  
When Lester didn't answer straight away she turned and stood by the door looking out at the sea.

"Babe what's wrong?"  
"Please don't send me back"  
"Is that what you think I'll do?"  
"You've done it before so yeah maybe I do"  
"I'm not sending you anywhere unless you want to go"  
She shook her head but I could tell she still wasn't convinced. Taking her outside to find some privacy I stood in front of her and cupped her face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do, but I promise unless it's dangerous I will never leave your side"  
"You promise?"  
"Yes"

"Not because you always protect me?"  
"No, you know I said I didn't do relationships?"  
She tried to lower her face but I kept her looking at me, she thought I was going to give that lame excuse again, but now I knew where my heart was and no matter what excuses my head tried to make I knew I had to follow my heart.

"We're already in a relationship and I like it, I want to make us work"

"Honestly?"  
"Yes, you mean too much to me and I know I need you in my life"  
As tears fell from her eyes I kissed them away and then moved my lips to hers, teasing at her mouth until she gave me access and I could relish on the taste and feel of her. As the kiss ended but as our lips stayed together I could feel her take a deep breath.

"I love you Ranger"  
My heart skipped a beat at hearing that and my mouth was back on hers, showing her exactly how I felt but now she needed to hear it.

"I love you Babe, I think I always have, I was too scared to admit it to myself let alone you, but I do love you very much"  
I felt her arms around my waist as she pushed herself against me and held onto me, but then she winced and I remembered the injuries to her back.

"You need to sleep, your back hurts doesn't it?"

"Yeah, especially where I got hit this afternoon"

I picked her up and carefully carried her across the gap between the boats, by the time I reached the bedroom she was already fast asleep, laying her on the bed I found a T-shirt of mine in my bag and carefully undressed her before pulling a cover over her. It had been one hell of a day today so after a quick shower I pulled on some boxers and crawled in with her, I didn't care that the bed was small because as she turned over and rested her head on my shoulder and her leg over mine I knew this was where I was meant to be.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

I was surprised when I woke that Steph wasn't with me, hell I must have been tired to sleep through her getting up, she hadn't slept well during the night and each time she started to talk or move around I would hold her and talk to her until she settled. The things that had been done to her were inexcusable and barbaric and each time I thought about it I could feel myself getting increasingly annoyed. Dressed in black cargos and a black T-shirt and shaved I headed up stairs to find out what the plans were, being on a boat in the middle of the sea wasn't what I was used to, I preferred to be more active in pursuing my quarry. Finding the galley I then went in search of Mo, finding him with a laptop sat in the area I presumed was also used for eating.

"Morning Ranger, you sleep okay?"  
"Reasonable. What are the plans for today?"  
"Steph is downstairs finishing the searches she was doing; my men are on the other boat with yours looking for information"  
"What do you need me to do?"  
"Well maybe we need to collate the information you have with ours, we've obviously followed different routes so may be there could be some cross over that's worth following up on"  
"You want me to use the workroom downstairs?"  
"Yeah, I'll go through what we have"  
I left the area and returned to the room I had shared with Steph, collecting a small laptop and memory sticks before heading downstairs again. The door was already open and as I stepped in I could see Steph sat on the floor with papers around her, chewing the end of a highlighter pen. I walked behind her and squatting down kissed the top of her head.

"How you feeling this morning?"  
"Okay, my back's a lot better and the bruise is turning a lovely color"  
"That vest you wore worked well, it seemed to absorb the worst of the impact from the bullet"  
"Roda said they're testing them out"

I pulled her back between my knees and wrapped my arms around her, bringing my head to rest besides hers.

"I missed you when you weren't there when I woke up"  
"I couldn't get back to sleep and I knew you needed some rest, I'm sorry if I woke you during the night"  
"That's what I'm here for, to support you. What are you up to down here?"  
"Well I ran searches on the FTA and the man with him and found the IDs they were using, so I plucked up enough courage to run their actual names yesterday"

"What did you find?"  
"Nothing absolutely nothing, anyone with that name wasn't them, too old or too young or different looks"  
"So what do you have"  
"Their mother, she was there on the island and she was part of what happened"  
"So not a sweet little old lady then?"  
"No, but it's strange because they've not done anything to cover up her existence"  
"So you're following her?"  
"Yeah, but because of her age not everything is recorded, I'm trying to find out something about her husband or family."  
"Mo's coming down so we're going to go through what we each have and compare what we've found"  
"Did you follow the weapons as well?"

"In a round about way, I was following weapons leaving the states"  
"How does that happen, I mean where do things like rocket launchers and machine guns come from?"  
"The army's not good on making sure they know where things are, and then there are the companies that produce them and some get into the country from small countries selling them"

"Okay I get that, it just seems there are so many weapons to be had and so many people buying and selling them"  
"Too many"  
I looked up as Mo came in and then stood up to join him looking at the boards on the wall, as Steph had suggested they'd followed the weapons that had turned up with various groups close to Israel and then tried to backtrack to the sellers, most of whom were small middlemen trying to cash in on an opportunity using their own methods of transport. I pointed out three names that I'd come across but I was beginning to think there was more to this mission than I had been led to believe.

"Mo between us we can map out a hell of a lot of organizations and people responsible for running guns, we're missing something, almost as if we've been kept out of the loop"  
"What do you mean?"  
"There has always been weapons on the market to be bought, so why now, why are our governments so concerned?"  
"I was told national security"  
"So was I, but I think our governments are suddenly running scared"  
"Like they've had a threat?"  
"Maybe, or word got out that it's more than just about run of the mill weapons"  
"You mean like nukes?"  
"Yeah, or something as bad"  
"Biological warfare?"  
"Maybe"

"So you think we should refocus what we're looking for?"  
"Maybe, it's only an idea"  
"Makes sense though"

"How many of the people you found deal with nukes or biological compounds?"  
"Not many, a lot of the groups I've come across wouldn't know how to get them or how to handle them"

"Yeah, that's what I would say about the cartels down in South America"  
"Any ideas on where to start?"

"Production would have to be in countries that had the research and means to produce it"  
"So we focus on Europe and the States"  
"I don't think anything would come out of Asia, they have no grievances against the west"

What I didn't want to say out loud was the possibility that if this was a biological threat that it was home grown, something that had been stolen from one of those government research labs who seemed hell bent on producing the ultimate weapon without having any way to destroy it.

"Okay, I'll focus on Europe you take the States. I've called a meeting for this evening at 1800hrs here"

I watched Steph as Mo left the room, she was now laid on her stomach, knees bent with her feet in the air looking as though she were reading, but I knew she would have been listening, that's her, but then again she may have a different perspective of what we'd said. I sat down besides her waiting till she looked at me.

"What?"  
"What do you think?"  
"What about?"  
"The conversation I had with Mo"

I knew from the color of her cheeks and how she looked away that she knew exactly what I meant.

"Babe you have a different way of looking at things, I'm not annoyed that you heard, but give me an opinion"  
"Okay, an individual or small group of people, or large family who hate Jews and Americans, or even American Jews"

"Why do you say that?"  
"Well there's a threat against Israel and America, so why not American Jews. Then there's the work you and Mo have done, none of what you've found points to a big organization that you already know about so that just leaves a smaller group who are harboring a hatred and are mad enough to think they can get away with it"

I played with her hair as I thought through what she had said, it made so much sense with it's simplicity that I was really trying to find a flaw with her thinking, but I couldn't. Hell she could even be right, maybe the route that both Mo and I had taken was right but with this to think about it threw a new dimension on the whole idea.

"Okay I know I have stupid ideas, so forget it"  
"No Babe, I'd never thought about it like that and it's certainly worth looking at"  
"Really?"  
I smiled as I brought my lips to hers and gently kissed her.

"I knew there was a reason for keeping you around"  
"I'll do some digging then"  
I could hear the low tone of her voice as she replied, shit did she really think that what I'd said was true?  
"Babe I keep you around because I love you"  
"Really?"  
"Yes"

I left our conversation at that because I had work to do and spending time down here wouldn't get it done. I kissed her forehead and stood.

"Babe I'm going over to the other boat to see if we can find some answers to those questions you asked of Mo"

"Okay, I'll keep following my nose on this"

I walked from the room and made my way to the other boat, I needed some different ways to access information and really there was only Hector who could do it. As I entered the small area where I'd found Santos the evening before I was surprised to find it empty so started to explore the boat. It was a small and outdated boat, probably used to rent out to tourists but if I knew Hector he would have brought enough electronics with him. I found him downstairs in one of the larger cabins and as I guessed he'd set up a couple of computers that were busy working away.

"You found anything Hector?"  
"Not really, the man Estefania helped to arrest was eventually let out on bail, big bond because of the arms, but he has no record or history. The only people to visit him were police and FBI"  
"Who put up the bond?"  
"His brother Dennis"

"Shit, that's the man who took Steph"  
"Si"  
"Do you know where they are now?"  
"No, still working on it"  
"Anything else?"  
"Santos on other boat, he follow money"

"Let me know if you find anything"  
I left Hector and returned the way I came; I knew Santos wasn't downstairs with Steph so headed for the lounge area where we'd met before. Santos was there hunched over a laptop with Elon both of them engrossed with what ever they were seeing on the screen.

"You find something"  
"We found the money that went into Beautiful's account but when we chased it back it was deposited as cash, so unless we talk to a cashier who should certainly remember that we have no way to trace it"  
"Her mother?"

"Nothing that we can find, neither parents have had any money transferred to them"  
"So Mrs. Plum lied"  
"Yeah she did, the problem is why"  
"Or who told her to"

"Yeah well you can tell Beautiful that news"

"You know where Roda is?"  
"She headed downstairs"

As I turned to leave Santos shouted over his shoulder.

"I have a feeling she'll come up empty too"  
"What was Nadav looking for?"  
"Some guy who helped her at Heathrow airport"  
"Thanks "

As I headed to find Nadav I was beginning to worry that maybe we were being sidetracked by what had happened to Steph and while that was important to follow up on, the other leads that Mo and I discussed also needed attention. I found Nadav out on the deck another one hunched over a laptop but at least he was aware that I was there.

"Anything Nadav?"  
"Guy at Heathrow who conveniently latched onto Steph, Carl Johnson, I can't find that name in any manifest flying into Heathrow"  
"So he could be part of the whole distraction?"  
"Maybe, no one comes up in any searches, so he certainly lied to Steph as to who he was"  
"Okay, someone to keep an eye open for. Can I have the password for the Wi-Fi?"  
"Sure"  
Once logged in I went to a secure server that I had access to through my government missions, I wasn't sure what I might find or if there was anything to find and there was also the possibility that anything might be beyond even my clearance or never recorded. Fort Detrick, Maryland, was the first place I needed to check into because this was where the government focused it's efforts in the investigation, prosecution and prevention of biocrimes and bioterrorism and an understanding of the risks posed by the malicious use of biological agents The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) is a one-of-a-kind facility dedicated to defending the nation against biological threats. It is the first national laboratory created by DHS, the capabilities within the facility did not exist prior to the Amerithrax attacks of 2001. I was very sure that it would be here that all sorts of experimentation would be happening; just to be sure we were one step ahead of anyone else. I carefully read through incidents that had been reported, hell for what they had in there it was sobering to think of some of the accidents, mishaps and carelessness that occurred. It was sobering to think about what exactly was within those walls and what researchers had done to effectively provide a terrorist with untold power and destruction. As I scrolled through the information most incident logs were minor or involved a chemical spillage but one in particular caught my eye. BLS-4, also know as the Marburg Virus, scientists had been working on a way to mutate the virus so that it was effective when added to water. Did that mean they were developing a way to infect people through water? Why the hell would they need to do that? The only answer I could come up with was if they suspected other research teams had done the same and were looking for a way to destroy it as a threat. The incident log was extremely vague and only recorded that a vial had been broken and disposed of, I needed to read up on this one because the last I'd read was that this was a virus that initially came from African Green monkeys being used for research of polio vaccines in Germany. Initially it was spread through close human to human contact so how did the new mutation work? Symptoms started with a headache, fever, and a rash on the body, and progressed to multiple organ failure and massive internal bleeding. There was no cure. Could this constitute a breach, did the contents somehow get smuggled out of the building? I needed to do two things to follow this through, one find out which people had access and run searches on them and maybe rattle a few cages with my superiors. The problem was I would need to be in the States to follow that up, it was always more enlightening when you could look into the face of the person you were talking to and that in itself was going to prove difficult, I really didn't want to leave Steph, not when she was so vulnerable. I closed down the program and shut the lid of the laptop wiping my hands down my face, this was why I now hated the work I'd involved myself with, yeah it paid well, very well, and it gave me the opportunity to use my skills and challenge me, but now, right now I hated the way I felt trapped into finishing this mission and if I got out of this alive then it would be the last. I was aware that there was some else coming into the room and turned to see Santos coming in through the door, he was certainly keeping up the image of being a tourist in bright blue board shorts and a white T-shirt, I waited for him to come over and sit down.

"You have that look Ranger, what's wrong?"  
"I think I may have to go back to the States"  
"Ah shit Ranger, what about Beautiful?"  
"She needs to stay somewhere safe"  
"Yeah right, no where could be safe for her, I mean we don't even know who is after her or if it's tied into your mission"

"I know, but you know what, maybe she'd be safer where they least expect her to be"  
"Ranger?"  
I turned and could see Steph stood in the doorway, how much had she overheard?


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I stood up and went toward her but I could tell from the look on her face that she'd heard too much, as I approached she turned and quickly walked away. Fuck why the hell hadn't she let me finish what I was going to say? I raced out after her at a total loss where she might have gone.

"Santos check the workroom downstairs"  
I turned and went through the next area and out onto the deck, nothing and nowhere to hide so then started down the stairs toward the bedroom we had used and finding the door locked deduced she was in there.

"Steph"  
"Steph open the door"  
"Please Babe"

I heard the lock open and slowly opened the door to see her hugging a pillow to her chest as she sat on the floor against the wall. She wasn't crying but she looked so lost as she stared at nothing, so broken and defeated, had I done that, because it was honestly not what I wanted to see.

"Babe"  
"Go away"  
"Not until you talk to me"  
"Not happening"

I went over to her and sat on the floor in front of her but she turned to look anywhere but at me.  
"Babe, you didn't let me finish talking when you came in"  
"It doesn't matter, I know you have to leave and send me somewhere"  
Hell she was annoying me now, how the hell do you talk to someone who so obviously didn't want to listen? So I tried a different tack and grabbed her securely by the shoulders and then pressed my mouth against hers trying so desperately to get her to react how I needed her to. I saw her arm come up and it wasn't to hold me, so I moved my hand down to hold it, her other arm came across and started to hit me and then her legs began to kick. In the end having being hit or kicked several times I sat across her thighs with her wrists in one hand behind her back. Shit she was turning me on with how she was moving, so I attacked her mouth again holding her face with my free hand and as I felt her movements slow down she allowed me access into her mouth and then we were dueling for control, I plunged my tongue in feeling and tasting her, savoring the way we moved together and releasing her wrists brought my other hand to her face and I felt her hands come to hold my head. I moved my mouth across her cheek and down her neck to where her neck and shoulder met, laving and kissing her, tasting her skin and hearing her sighs and whimpers in my ears. I pulled away and looked into her eyes, eyes that were a dark deep blue.

"That's not fair Ranger"  
"I know, but that's how I feel"  
"I'm sorry"  
"Why"  
"I'm just a, just a liability and you're better off without me"  
"No Babe, I know you, I want you with me and if you had just let me finish what I was saying to Santos then you'd have heard me say I was going to take you with me"  
I watched as that sunk in and as her face showed confusion.

"But you're in the middle of a mission, won't your bosses be pissed with that?"  
"Let them, I have some leads to follow and I happen to know of one of the best people who can be my partner"  
"You're serious aren't you?"  
"Yes, I'm serious, we'll have back up and there's no way I'm leaving you here floating round the Med like a sitting duck"  
"What about the guys here?"  
"They'll understand, we'll keep in touch"  
I pulled her against me careful not to cover her face and ensuring I didn't rub too hard on her back, feeling her arms come around my waist.

"Mo wants to meet so maybe that'll be the best time to tell him"

"Okay, I found out something real weird today. I don't know if it's important or not"  
"Come on let's head up now"  
I moved and got up onto my feet and then gently pulled her up by her arms and then with my hand holding hers we walked up to the lounge area. Santos and Hector were already there with Mo and Nadav, Roda and Elon were close behind. I let Mo take charge of the meeting after all it was his boat we were on.

"Ben couldn't find Barak Steph, there are too many men with that name. Roda how did you do?"  
"I found the reservations under your Grandmothers name but whoever paid used cash, she was with someone else, another older lady, the name she used, because she had to leave passport info was for Donna Collins, it's a false ID, no one by that name exists"

"Nadav?"  
"Couldn't find anyone by the name of Carl Johnson, sorry Steph"  
"Elon?"  
"Cash payment into your account. There was no movement of money through your parents"

I could feel Steph deflate at that news, and tightened my grip on her hand; I couldn't understand why her mother had lied to her.

"Nadav?"  
"Yeah Hector got into the prison system, only visitors were FBI and police. Steph he got out on bail, I think because he had no previous record and his brother Dennis made the bail"  
"So is his brother in the states?"  
"I don't know, the money was transferred from an account from the Cayman Islands so he may not have been there in person"  
"What about his lawyer?"  
"Good call Steph, I'll chase that up"  
"Ranger?"  
"I found something to follow up on but I need to be in the States to do that"  
"So when you heading out?"  
"Not sure yet, soon, but I need to look at the logistics and where people might be best used"

"Steph, you find anything?"  
"The man on the island is called Demetri Nicolini, brother Jonas, they're using a family called Collins as their cover and that family seems to exist. As there wasn't anything on their names I followed the mother and her family. I managed to trace her mother and got back to 1941 with the invasion of Greece, I'm not sure but I think she was Italian but her family moved to Greece, maybe they thought it would be safer there, anyway she married an Italian soldier and then they emigrated to USA New York, he set up a textiles factory that was then slowly undermined by Jewish workers until it went bankrupt, probably blamed the American Jews. Her sister married a Sicilian man, I think he was involved with the mafia. I've hit a brick wall with them. Her brother came over with his wife, but then both men, husband and brother were killed in a rival dispute with the Jewish mafia"

"So you're saying the mother's husband and her brother were both killed in New York by Jewish Americans?"  
"Yeah, I still have to find the sister and trace back her offspring"

"Babe did his brother have any children?"  
"Still looking, records are a bit sketchy"

"Could that be the link we're looking for?"  
Could it? I didn't know and we couldn't afford to lose sight of any other options.

"It could be, but we still need to follow up on any other leads. What did you find out Mo?"  
"I think maybe you were right, the man I answer to was cagey, and I suppose it's what he didn't say that made me suspicious. Said he'd get back to me"  
"Ranger if you decide who's going where maybe we need someone on the ground in Trenton, getting through to Tank is difficult because of the time difference and him being around"

"Okay then if I head back to Washington with Steph and Santos"  
"Hold on, you're thinking of taking her back to the States?"  
"She'll be safe with me Mo, I have contacts there plus I don't think they would think to look back home for her"

"I think it's a good idea, you wouldn't appreciate being stuck with us here would you Steph"

I felt Steph move forward next to me and saw her nod her head at Nadav.

"Thanks Nadav"

What are your plans Mo?"  
"Europe, maybe you're right, we'll be in unknown territory and will need to be careful with our cover story. Maybe one of yours can be with us and one of ours with you?"  
"I can work with that, volunteers?"  
I looked around at the people sat around me wondering who would be the best fit to be with each team and was surprised when Hector looked over at me.

"I stay in Europe, I speak the language"  
"You sure Hector?"  
"Si"

"I'll go with you Ranger, I can help protect Steph"

I wasn't surprised that the voice came from Ben, there was something between him and Steph that I hadn't worked out yet, he almost seemed to be very protective of her, almost as though he needed to be where she was.

"Ranger I don't have any ID at all, my passport and cards they were all stolen"  
I looked at Santos who nodded his head, I knew if he came somewhere like this this he would have brought the necessary documents to get her home.

"All covered Babe"  
"Where do you want to fly out of?"  
I looked at Ben realizing that since we were in the middle of the Mediterranean we could choose an airport to suit us. There was no way I wanted to be anywhere near Greece so in my head I was going through airports that would be close to the sea for us to dock at.

"Barcelona, I think that would provide us with a non stop flight"

"Okay we'll head for there, it's as good a place as any for us to enter in through"

As people got up and moved to start planning that left Santos, Ben, Steph and I on our own.

"Ben what ID do you have?"  
"What would be best?"  
"You have a choice?"  
"Of course"

"American?"

"No problem, I'll go sort out my stuff, I'll let you know the details for the flight"  
"Santos can you go get the documents for Steph"

As he left I pulled open my laptop and found a site to research flights from, Lufthansa had a non-stop flight to Washington leaving at noon.

"Ranger"  
"Yes Babe"  
"I don't have anything"  
"What do you mean, we have documents for you"  
"No clothes or anything"  
"That's not a problem, we can pick some things up at the airport and then I'll get Ella to ship whatever you'll need"  
"There's money in my account"  
"Babe, no price remember?"

I could tell she wasn't happy about that but sorting her out wouldn't even be a blip on the finances I had, but she had always been one for paying her own way, being independent. As I worked on the computer I could sense her relaxing against me, good, she needed to rest and the trip ahead of us would be a long one. Once I had everyone's documents I booked the flights and collated them together in a wallet for my bag and looking at my watch decided it was definitely time to eat, I wasn't sure what the arrangements would be but was sure there was enough in the galley.

"Let's go sort out something to eat"  
Taking her hand we walked down into the galley and found Ben in the process of cooking something.

"Sea food paella"

It certainly smelt good and looked to be almost ready so between us we carried out the necessary crockery and cutlery out onto the deck. Somehow the others seemed to know that food was being served and soon all of us were sat eating and talking round the table. I was pleased that Steph was eating, maybe not as much as usual, but then again it could have been the inclusion of squid, muscles and clams that was putting her off. After clearing away I sat out on the deck with my Babe sat curled up with me watching the night sky and listening to the waves.

"I love the sound of the waves and seeing the stars, they seem so much brighter here than at home"  
"We've got too much light pollution, maybe I should take you to Scotland, you can also see the Northern Lights from there as well"  
When she didn't respond I pulled her tighter to me, she was too busy in her own thoughts for talking so as she stared up at the sky I watched her. I felt her relax against me and watched as her eyelids grew heavy until they stayed closed. I knew Santos had come out onto the deck and as he realized she was asleep came closer.

"She gonna be okay?"  
"I think so, she's strong and resilient and she has friends to help her"

"We're all set for tomorrow, Ram's taking the boat back and then flying back to Trenton. I didn't mention it before but Tank's having trouble finding out anything on that incident her Grandmother was involved with"

"Who did he talk to?"  
"Eddie, but he says the whole thing was dealt with by a new detective and we don't have an in with him"  
"New?"  
"Yeah, a Detective Ranor"

"Tell Ram to find out whatever he can about him"  
"Tank's already on it. I'm heading to bed, I'll see you in the morning"

As he left I tried to get my head around everything that had happened to my Babe, all that she had been doing was her job and she was good at finding her man, but that they would come after her like that, what kind of man would orchestrate something like this? But worst of all could she now be in the middle of the threats the government was alluding to? And the incident with her Grandmother was it just a ruse to get her out of the country and what of Morelli and this new detective, were they both involved or was Morelli just trying to help and the detective just doing his job?

I heard a sound and my attention turned back to my Babe, she was talking in her sleep and her breathing was increasing. I pulled her closer to me being mindful that nothing covered her face or hurt her back.

"Shush Babe, I'm with you, no one can hurt you now"

"Nadie puede hacerte daño ahora"

As I spoke softly to her I could feel the tension ebb from her body, I knew too well how the ghosts could haunt you in your sleep. Many a time when I came back from a mission too pent up with rage or too anxious to function with control I would find my solace in her company, drawing from her sleeping form a peace I couldn't find anywhere else. So now I would be her paladin, her supporter and champion. I lifted her carefully and quietly walked down to the bedroom making sure she was comfortable before I joined her.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I knew as soon as I woke that I was alone in the bed, opening my eyes I could see that the door to the bathroom was open and as I propped myself up on my elbows I could see Steph sat on the floor. I knew she wasn't crying by the way she was sat, in fact I'm sure if I could hear her thoughts, she'd be arguing with herself, so I made some noise as I got up from the bed and squatted down beside her. She knew I was there but didn't turn to face me, in fact now she was talking to herself, trying to talk herself into going in the shower that was spraying out water.

"You're being stupid, it's only water. You'll be stood up, you can do it"  
I smiled, very careful not to laugh because that would have really pissed her off.

"Babe let me help you, we can get through this together"  
"I don't know"  
"Up you get"  
I pulled her to her feet and slowly pulled the T-shirt over her head and then carefully brought my mouth down on hers. She hesitated but was soon eager to move into me and as her lips parted I took advantage and slid my tongue into the depths of her mouth. I carefully moved us under the water so that the spray was falling down my back and moved my hands from her hips to her face as I moved my mouth down to her neck. I could feel the response from her as her hands now came up my chest and down my arms, there was no way I could hold off on this developing further and from how her hands were now on my backside I didn't think she could either so I hoisted her by her hips and felt her legs come around me. I could feel her breathing hitch and hear those delectable sounds that came from her mouth, her body writhing against me elicited such a need inside of me, a need to feel her around me. I leaned her back against the wall allowing my mouth to suck and lathe on her perfect breasts and felt her hands starting to stroke me.

"Please Ranger, I need you inside of me"  
My hand went to her folds, she was so wet for me allowing first one finger and then a second to enter her, curling against the tightness of her walls, a thumb against her clit and I could feel her tumbling from an orgasm her eyes closing as her head went back and words tumbled from her mouth. As she gained awareness I raised her and very slowly entered her, as she pulled my head toward her to ravage my mouth I slowly started to move in and out of her. It was like savoring a favorite taste, knowing it so well but relishing in the feeling, being addicted for more, as her mouth moved down my neck and her nails trailed across my muscles I knew I couldn't hold back any longer so with an arm under her thighs and a hand between us I rubbed her clit again as I gave my final thrust. I cried out her name as the intensity shot through me and felt her muscles clenching to draw me in, prolonging my orgasm and fuelling hers. I heard my name, or the name of Ranger, and thought that was something that needed to change. As we both came to our senses I pulled her toward me my mouth next to her ear.

"Babe some better memories to have in your head when you next have a shower"

The water was now pouring down both of our faces and I was still inside of her, holding her I brought my hand down her cheek.

"Te amo Querida"

"Te amo Carlos"

I saw the look of shock cross her face as she said it and needed to reassure her that hearing her say my name was what I wanted.

"I like the way you say my name, I want to hear it from your lips"  
"Are you sure?"

"Very sure, at least when we are alone and in private"  
"Thank you"

"I should be thanking you, I missed you Babe, so very much"  
"No for helping me overcome my fear"  
"Always"

I lifted her from me and placed her on the floor and then very gently washed her with a soapy sponge using it to wet her hair without excess water running down then soaped her hair and rinsed it I was surprised at how much I missed her curls. Once we were both washed and wrapped in towels I went to the closet and found her a pair of black jeans and a T-shirt, Santos had an outfit on the other boat to compliment her new documents. As we came out of the room Roda was coming down the stairs but stopped me as I passed.

"I know you'll take care her, and thank you for being here for her"  
"I'll always be there for her, thanks for the use of your room"  
"Oh that actually helped"  
"Helped?"  
I felt Steph push me and decided that maybe I should leave it be and ask Steph what that was all about later.

Within an hour we were aboard the other boat and heading toward Barcelona, the farewell had been hard on Steph and as usual she had tears in her eyes but then so had the others, after promising we'd see them again, which was very likely, we eventually managed to separate ourselves. I was leaving the task of her cover to Santos, after all he was the one who had decided to bring the one he had. Unknown to Steph I had set up three different aliases for her working on the assumption that sooner or later I would have need of them to ensure her safety from whatever threat she was under. One had her as Mrs. Pardo that tied into one of mine, a second was as Mrs. Pertretri and this was the one that Santos had chosen because it tied into his. We'd set that one up for the times when I was in the wind, as Steph liked to call it, as we were sure she would feel more comfortable with Santos. The last ID was for a Miss. Peters and was there should Steph decide that she was happy to go alone though Santos and I had agreed that we would only tell her of this one in extreme circumstances and Steph was adamant to be on her own or being with one of us could bring more danger to her. As Steph came up from the cabins I first saw her face and knew she was far from happy, as she came toward me I had a gut reaction that was so alien to me that it took my breath away, the idea of her being round and carrying my child, now where the hell had that come from because I'd sworn I would never have any more children.

"You look good Babe"  
And she did, with a short blonde wig of straight hair and soft brown eyes from contacts but it was the roundness of her stomach underneath a pale blue top that intrigued me as it fell to below her hips and over the calf high black linen trousers. I pulled her to me as much as the bump would allow and moved a hand over it.

"It suits you Babe, I like the look"  
Her face didn't change as she lent her head against my chest.

"I am so going to get Lester back for this"  
"You look nothing like yourself which is the intention"  
"What happens at security, won't they be suspicious?"  
"No, Santos has medical documents to verify your condition, they wouldn't dare try to touch you or put you through the scanner machine"

I watched as Santos walked in, he knew I didn't like the idea of Steph having to pretend to be with him but there was nothing I could do about it and at least this way we knew she was safe and heading for home.

Dressed in suits we all took separate taxis to get to the airport, I'd left all of my weapons on the boat with Ram for him to get back to Trenton, he would secure them in the hold and ensure their return along with a number of tasks for Tank to be getting on with. The airport was surprisingly quiet and we managed to get through security without a hitch, now all we could do was wait for boarding to begin, just less than an hour away. We'd agreed that Ben and I would act as strangers and that neither of us would interact with Steph and Santos and I had to say it was killing me. I knew she was nervous as did Santos and I could see him trying to cheer her up. Once on board I'd made sure we were in first class seats, 9 hours was too long to be cramped in economy and looking at how Steph was struggling with the disguise it was probably a good job that I had. I'd made sure that I was on the aisle seat next to Santos and at least the layout was sufficient for us to sleep. As we began to taxi toward the runway I could see that Steph was getting anxious, I don't know why but she hated to fly, especially the take off and landing. I noticed Santos take her hand and the grip she used on it but as soon as we were in the air she released it and then reclined her seat to allow her to sleep. I think we all slept on the flight, although I know I was only sleeping lightly, forty minutes out from Washington and the staff came round to clear away and instruct us to raise our seat and fasten our seatbelts. I noticed Santos help Steph and I also noticed how pale she looked, I was concerned enough to lean over to Santos on the pretense of passing him a pen.

"Is Steph okay?"  
"She says she feels tired"  
"Keep an eye on her as we move through the airport"

Once landed first class passengers were the first to disembark and I watched in alarm as Steph seemed to fall as she stood up, Santos was quick to hold her around the waist and support her, maybe she had just stood up too quickly, but as we moved through the airport I was beginning to get worried, fortunately customs seemed to take pity on her and we were soon outside heading to the car. I'd hired a car to be at the exit as we came out and allowed Santos to drive with Ben up front while I pulled her into my arms. She seemed hot and was still sleepy.

"Babe, what's wrong, you're hot and lethargic"  
"I am hot, this thing I'm wearing and the wig, I feel as if I can't breathe"  
"We'll soon be at the apartment"  
It was forty minutes later as we pulled into an underground car park, part of the perk that came with the apartment. The place was one that some of the men from Rangeman had used before, it was quiet and close to the city center. It was a two-bedroom place, modern and very private. I carried Steph from the car and via the lift up to the top floor, level 10, and took her straight into the master en suite bathroom where I proceeded to rid her of the wig and clothes before undoing the cumbersome body suit. She was still hot and slightly flushed so I bathed her arms and legs before slipping a T-shirt over her head and then slid her carefully into the bed.

"Babe, how do you feel?"  
"Better"  
"I'll get you some water and an Advil, maybe you overheated and the circulated air in planes isn't always pleasant"  
That done I left her and returned to the lounge to find Santos and Ben sat on the couches drinking a beer both now in T-shirts and joggers.  
"How is she?"  
"Overheated, I've given her some tablets and left her to sleep"  
"She just suddenly seemed to burn up"

"In the outfit she had on I'm not surprised"

"Okay, so what are the plans for tomorrow?"  
"I have a meeting with my superior"

"Ranger what are we looking for?"  
"Word of a threat to National Security, I think something has the powers to be spooked"  
"I'll meet up with some of the guys who are here in town and see what they know"

"Ben you stay with Steph, don't let her out of the apartment, I'll try not to be too long. There should be food in the freezer"  
I'd used the place on a few occasions but some men preferred to be close to the city, I didn't and had now I'd found a better option for those times I needed to relax before going home. There was a cleaner who came at every change over and as part of the service also kept supplies topped up, the last thing you needed after a mission was the hassle of cooking food and definitely didn't want to be roaming the streets looking for restaurants, it was a time to get your bearings and ground yourself. None of us really wanted to sleep just yet, although it was only 1700hrs our bodies were still at European time, 2300hrs. I checked through emails and messages pleased that Ram was on his way home and also that Mo and the team were travelling through France to Lyon before going down to Rome, each place they were to visit were sites for level 4 research facilities but along the way they would continue to follow any other trails. After showering I sat in the bedroom, watching Steph sleep, she was still flushed but not as hot now so hopefully the sleep would help to restore her to her usual self, I was certainly relieved as I slipped into the covers beside her.

Chapter

The night had been quiet with Steph sleeping better than she had done and because she'd slept so long she was awake as soon as I moved.

"How are you feeling?"  
"Better, much better"  
"I have some meetings to attend today and Santos is going to catch up with some guys that he knows here to see what the latest talk is"  
"What can I do to help?"  
"What do you want to do?"  
"Go out shopping or find a really snazzy restaurant"

I laughed at what she had said knowing she was being totally serious.

"How about you finish doing that research and this evening I promise to take you out"  
"But what will I wear?"  
"Check out the closet, I had Ella send some things here for you"  
"Not pregnancy things?"  
"No not pregnancy things"  
"Okay, is Ben staying here?"  
"Yes, so please don't go anywhere, whatever happens stay here"  
"Okay"

I could see that she wasn't totally happy with that idea but I had to trust her and that she would do as I had asked of her. I slid from the bed and went to the closet to find casual clothes for my meeting and stood back as I saw so many colors facing me, Ella, she'd sent a whole wardrobe for Steph. I found the clothes I needed and quickly dressed, I was sure I could feel Steph watching me and that in itself was a turn on. I closed my eyes and focused, thinking about the job we needed to finish, there'd be plenty of time later. I turned and looked at her as she smiled at me, she seemed herself today, so the fear that I felt receded to the back of my mind.

"You look sexy mister"  
"Glad to hear, but not the impression I was going for"  
"Be careful"  
"I will and if I know you're here and safe then I'll be quicker"  
"I know and I promise to stay in"  
I kissed her on her forehead, not daring to go near her mouth and then turned and walked out of the room and then went down in the lift to the ground floor. I would be using the metro for the first part of my journey, making sure no one was watching the apartment or following me. I took a number of trains before I felt confident that I was alone and then hailed a taxi to get me to my meeting across the Potomac River and toward the Pentagon. Probably a world famous building but to me it was one enormous office building that housed thousands of military personnel working there in the miles of corridors. Fortunately my meeting was in an office on the first floor close to the River entrance so after the fiasco of getting in I went up the stairs and stood outside the door I needed to be in. There were no public allowed in this particular area, too many secrets to be kept and too many people trying to get at them. The man I was seeing was Colonel Kempster and he was someone who to some extent was an old friend, I'd served under him as an enlisted man and then came across him again when with the Rangers, if anyone would talk to me then I really hoped he would. I knocked on the door and waited to hear the order to enter and walked in as it came. I entered into a large spacious room and immediately the man I had come to see stood up from his desk and walked over to greet me. He looked older than I remembered and his change in job showed in his physique, he wasn't as trim as he had been with the signs of additional weight.

"Manoso how are you keeping?"  
"Good, Colonel, and you, you enjoying being here in Washington?"  
"It's not too bad, house in the country, wife to go home to, you should try it"  
"Maybe I will"  
"I hear you signed on to do special ops work?"  
"I did, though my contract's due to finish after the job I'm on now"  
"You going to continue?"  
"As you once said you get too old for this shit and there are younger and faster men coming through"  
"So you fancy a desk job then?"  
"Not really, I have a business that's doing well and I need to focus on that"  
"You must want something if you're here?"

"Not what you think"  
"You'd make a good addition to the staff, Major, even make Lieutenant Colonel"

"No I'm not after promotion, but you can help with information"  
"Not sure I know anything of interest to you"  
"A threat that came in recently, a threat to national security?"

I saw a look cross his face before he closed it off and now felt that I had come to the right person to find out more.  
"Maybe we need to take a walk"

I followed him through a back door in his office down interior stairs coming out of the building on the same side as I'd come in through. We walked down the terrace and past the lagoon stopping at the start of a landing dock.

"What have you heard Manoso?"  
"It's not what I've heard it's what's not there to find. I've been chasing my tail down in South America turning up what we already know and then I was asked to liaise with the Israelis. That puts a whole new ball game into play. So I got to thinking, what would have the Israelis and us trying to find about some new threat"  
"Always said you were the best, the way you track and follow your instincts"  
"So I'm right?"  
"Yeah, but we're not sure what the threat is or where it's coming from, we're not even sure if it's us or the Israelis someone's after"  
"What was the Intel?"  
"The words "Angel of Death is coming" was picked up by Quantico monitoring communications"

"What does that mean?"

"No idea, but it was enough to raise concern"

"So why the focus on Israel?"  
"They picked up the same notation and seeing as it seems to have a religious connotation they're on high alert as well"

"I found nothing through the usual sources, if something is being planned I don't think it's the usual weapons terrorist use"

"You have a thread you want to follow?"  
"Yes I do, and when I conferred with the Israeli team they thought it was worth following"  
"I'm not going to like it am I?"  
"No, and for now I have no evidence to follow so this conversation stays between you and me"  
"Fair enough, as long as you keep me updated"  
"My handler won't like that"  
"I'll transfer command over to me"

I nodded my head at that suggestion but for now I would keep my suspicions to myself, the fewer people who knew the better.

"You got a team with you?"  
"No, but I'm better on my own and I have the Israeli team"  
"Any leads?"  
"Maybe"

"But you're not going to say"  
"No, not yet"

Was I being over precautious, maybe, but I didn't want anyone to know the connection that Steph might have to this and no way did I want the intelligence agency involved. I stood ending the conversation and turned to leave.

"Keep in touch Major"

I nodded as I turned and made my way back to the metro and another journey that would ensure no one was following me.

On the way back to the apartment I stopped off at a jewelry store I'd used before, yeah I'd bought things here before for the females in my family. My mother always felt that if I at least was thinking of her enough to buy her a gift then at least she knew that the link between us was there. Yeah my parents had an idea of what I did and though they asked me about it I think at some level they understood my reticence of visiting too often. I'd asked Ella to send a special item via the jewelers, an item I kept in a secure box in the bedside table on seven at Rangeman. Once in my pocket I made my way back to the apartment interested in hearing what Santos had discovered and if Steph had made any headway on the searches she was doing. I was looking forward to tonight; was I taking Steph out on a date, would she see it that way? Maybe, possibly so I called in at a restaurant just round the corner from the apartment and booked a table for two, making sure of course the table was at the back and pre ordered some wine, that done I used the lift and was about to enter the apartment when I heard Santos and Ben arguing, I stood to the side of the door to listen interested in what had got them both annoyed.

"You don't have to sit in the same room as her"  
"I'm protecting her"

"No you're not you're suffocating her"

"She hasn't said anything to me"  
"She won't, she'd be worried about upsetting you"

"You got it wrong, if I'm there she knows she's safe"  
I made a noise of slamming the door walking into the kitchen where both men were standing, pretending I hadn't overheard anything.

"Ben all quiet?"  
"Yeah, nothing at all"  
"Santos?"  
"I'm going to change"

I followed Santos from the kitchen expecting to find Steph in the lounge and was surprised when Ben followed me.

"She said she needed to shower and get ready"  
Strange because it was a few hours before we needed to head out. I opened the door to our bedroom, closing it behind me to find an empty room, but I couldn't hear the shower running and to be honest I wasn't sure if Steph was ready to do that on her own. I peeked through the gap of the bathroom door surprised to see her sat with a mound of cushions on the floor.

"Babe"  
"Shit you scared me"  
"What are you doing in here?"  
"I couldn't cope with the way Ben was always looking over my shoulder when I was working"  
"He being a bit over powering?"  
"Yeah he is"  
"Tell him"  
"I tried but then he said what I was doing was important to the Israelis so he needed to know"  
I sat down next to her, noting she was still working on the laptop and put my arm around her shoulder feeling her lean into me.

"How'd your meeting go?"  
"Interesting"  
"That it?"  
"It probably confirmed that both the Israelis and people here are on high alert, but the Intel they're picking up is vague"  
"So what now?"  
"A trip to Fort Detrick, Maryland"

"Where's that?"  
"About 50 miles north of here"

"Can I go with you?"  
"I hadn't thought of that"  
"Please"  
I wasn't sure what to do, I didn't want to leave her here again and for some reason I didn't think Ben would blend in with what I wanted to do, maybe her being with me would appease everyone, except maybe Santos.

I ran my fingers through the curls close to her face noticing her hair was wet.

"How did you manage with the shower?"  
"I got through it, I just thought of you"

I just hoped she hadn't used the massager to complete the memory.

"You find out anything else today?"  
"I followed a trail to the brother I don't think they had any children before he died and if I followed it properly I'd say the wife went back to Italy"  
"Could she be a threat?"  
"Nah, I found a woman with the same name and date of birth but she's in a home for dementia patients"

"What about the sister?"  
"Well I found a record of her marriage to a man called Angelo and I may have found some children, I had to backtrack with dates and names, not really an exact science, but if I'm right they had two sons and a daughter. Ciro, Fillipo and Donna"  
"What next?"  
"Well I'm down to the generation with Annis now, so now I need to get my head round them. I don't know where to begin with Nicolini"  
"Maybe it doesn't matter, we know who his brother is and nephew"  
"Okay I need to get ready"  
I watched as she closed down the laptop and left the bathroom, allowing me to shower and once shaved I went in search of a suit. I found Steph stood in front of the mirror fingering her hair. I walked up behind her placing my arms around her stomach and looked at her through the reflection in the mirror. She looked beautiful in a deep red dress that clung to her figure, a V neck that left everything to the imagination with a skirt that ended mid thigh with tall dark red FMPs to match.

"What's wrong Babe?"

"Do I have to wear a disguise?"  
"No, I want you as you"  
"Good"  
I took the box from my pocket, I was going to wait until we were at the restaurant but now seemed the perfect time to give it to her, I took each end of the chain and passing it over her head fastened the chain at the back of her neck and then looked back in the mirror at her reflection. She was smiling and fingering the pendent that hung between her breasts.

"Ranger it's beautiful"  
"Not as beautiful as you"

"Why an angel?"  
"Because you are one, an angel sent to me, to save me from myself"

She was touching the pendent with her fingers and then those bright blue eyes looked into mine, capturing mine as I looked back. I held her eyes as I bent forward and kissed her neck.

"Te amo Querida"  
"I love you too"  
"Come on we have a reservation"  
I helped her with her coat and with a hand on her back guided her through the lounge and toward the door, noticing that both Santos and Ben were close behind.

"Gentlemen I think I can take care of Steph without you"  
Then proceeded through the door and closed it behind me. As we entered the lift I could hear Steph laughing, it was music to my ears, I hadn't heard her laugh since meeting up with her. It only took five minutes to get to the restaurant and I was very aware of anyone around us, the streets were quiet as we walked hand in hand along the sidewalk. Once in we were led to a table for two at the back of the room, meaning I could see whoever came in, though the place where we were sat was set apart from the other tables. The wine was sat waiting on the table so as I poured each of us a glass Steph while was looking through the menu.

"What would you like Babe?"  
"I fancy steak Diane, with baked potatoes"

"Filling up on red meat Babe?"  
"Definitely"  
As the waitress came I ordered a selection of starters, the steak for Steph and the Poulet de Provencal for myself, I was sure when the time came Steph would want to sample one of their desserts. We talked about our childhood, although she knew I'd spent part of my childhood in Miami I enjoyed telling her about growing up in Miami and how my Abuela had licked me into shape. I was surprised when Steph said that she felt she had never had a chance to really follow who she thought she was, the restrictions her mother made of her and the demanding expectations. I suppose in some ways I was aimless when young, which was how I had ended up in so much trouble as a teenager. I knew I had the beginning of acquiring skills and so did the gang I ran with and that was how I got caught, but I wouldn't give any names and to keep me from further trouble I ended up in Miami. As we finished our starters and the waitress cleared our plates Steph went very quiet.

"I'll be back in a minute"  
I stood and pulled back her chair as she stood and watched as she disappeared into the powder room, but after ten minutes I was getting worried and just as I was about to go find her she came out in a rush standing behind her chair.

"Ranger I have to go back, please, quickly"

I stood and made apologies to the waitress leaving enough cash on the table to cover what we'd ordered and then was following Steph onto the street. I caught up with her and taking her arm turned her to look at me, she looked pale and as we stood there tears welled up in her eyes.

"Babe, what's happened"  
"Nothing it's nothing"  
But then she turned and was walking almost jogging down the street. She'd already got into the lift and was ahead of me, shit how had I managed to lose her like that and what the hell had happened at the restaurant. Once in the apartment I saw Santos looking at the bedroom door.

"I don't know what the hell you said or did but she stormed through there without a word"  
I knew I hadn't done or said anything so felt confident in entering the bedroom and again found no sign of her. This time the bathroom door was locked so I stood outside and quietly knocked.

"Babe, let me in"  
"No, go away"

"Babe, please I need to know what's wrong"

"No, you can't help"  
"Babe if you don't open the door I'll break it down"  
I waited for what seemed like an age and then heard the quiet slide of the bolt from inside, when I went in Steph was on the floor curled up dressed in a T-shirt and jogging bottoms.

"Babe talk to me"  
As I bent down and tried to turn her I felt a moan come from her mouth and then looking around saw dark red blood on the towels now stuffed into the hamper. I think I panicked, I mean where the hell had all the blood come from, she wasn't hurt when we left the restaurant.

"Babe, what's happened, you've got to tell me"  
I managed to turn her and sitting behind brought her curled body into mine.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know, but oh god it's never been like this before"  
"What hasn't?"  
I saw her head go down but she was almost too pale to flush and she was rocking slightly and holding her stomach, shit, was it what I thought?  
"Babe, don't be embarrassed, it's the way it is"  
"Not like this, the bleeding is way too heavy, it's never been like that before and the cramps"

"Babe I thought you were on the pill?"  
I saw the realization cross her face, yeah we'd had unprotected sex a few days ago, but to be honest that didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

"Babe I don't care about that, but do we need to get a doctor?"  
"No, it should calm down"  
"Do you have everything you need"  
"Yeah, Ella must have included them in the list, they were in the cabinet"  
I stood and picked her up then carefully carried her through to the bedroom and placed her on the bed and then went and found some Advil and a hot water bottle.

"I'm sorry, I ruined our night"  
"Babe you didn't know it was going to happen, you need to rest, you look pale and you're cold"

I wrapped myself around her as she lay in the bed, smiling that at last I could relax, smiling that what I thought was a threatening situation had simply been mother nature making a call, though I would somehow get a prescription for some contraceptive pills. As I felt her relax and fall to sleep I left her in order to change my clothes and decided Santos probably would want an explanation, though explaining why it had caused her to be so upset was not going to be easy.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Steph had been in and out of bed all through the night, each time I'd asked her if she was okay she'd just reply with a grunt. I knew she'd struggled with the stomach cramps from the way she was taking the Advil but now as the morning came she was sleeping more soundly and her color was better. I left her to sleep going into the bathroom surprised when I saw an empty box of tampons, surely a woman wouldn't go through so many, would they? After showering I dressed in black jeans and a black sweater with a white T-shirt underneath and with the empty box went through to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast noticing Santos coming in.

"Go out and get a few boxes of these for Steph"

He tore off the top of the pack and disappeared, for some reason I was expecting some smartass response.  
"Is Steph okay?"  
I turned to see Ben looking at me, why would he think that she wouldn't be?

"I think so yes, why?"  
"Oh, just asking. So what are the plans for today?"

"Mo has some contacts for you to see"  
"I should stay with Stephanie"  
"She's with me today"  
I finished eating and with a coffee in my hand went through to Steph, for some reason I was feeling edgy with Ben, it was almost as if he was waiting for something to happen. Once I'd placed the mug on the table next to Steph I went through to the bathroom and used a sat phone to call Mo, yeah that's how edgy I felt.

"What's wrong?"  
"Mo, what do you know about Ben?"  
"Ben?"  
"He's making me real edgy"  
"He can be a bit over bearing"  
"But what do you know about him?"  
"Good soldier, killer combat skills, nearly got killed along with his team a few years ago, so he tends to be impulsive"  
"Do me a favor Mo, find him something to do here in Washington"  
"Okay, I can do that, anything else?"  
"Yeah check him out yourself"  
I finished the call on that note, I didn't give a fuck whether Mo liked it or not, I needed to be able to trust the men around me and for some reason I didn't trust Ben. I made another short call and then made my move to leave. As I came out of the bathroom Steph was finishing her coffee and looked over to me.

"How are you feeling?"  
"Better, much better"  
"Babe, do you normally go through so many tampons?"  
"No, for some reason it really hit it me hard, maybe because I came off the pill so quickly, I mean I was on it but then on the island, I didn't have any and I didn't think about it"  
"It's okay Babe, we'll get a prescription for some more"  
"Are we still going to Maryland?"  
"Yes"  
"Good, on our own?"  
"Yes, why?"

"I don't know Ben that well and I know this sounds awful but I don't feel safe with him yet"  
"I feel the same way, so I've asked Mo to check him out"  
"You have, what did he say to that?"  
"He'll do it"

I went to the closet and got some jeans and a sweater out for her as she collected some underwear, I needed for us to be on the road and I'm sure she was aware of that. When we walked into the lounge Santos handed her a paper bag, watching as she looked inside. I saw the color spread across her cheeks, why was it women were so embarrassed about their monthly cycle?

"Thanks Lester"  
"No problem. You two heading out?"  
"Yes, Santos, keep an eye on him"  
He nodded his understanding; I didn't need to say a name, I knew he would know who I meant. I picked up my full-length leather coat and with Steph's hand in mine we headed for the garage. The traffic was moving steadily and we were soon travelling along route 270, me watching the road and thinking through how to find information while Steph was sat quietly, in fact in the end it was her silence that distracted me, her being quiet wasn't what I was used to.

"Babe, you're quiet"  
"Sorry, just thinking"  
"What's on your mind?"  
"This place where we're going, you think it might give you some clues?"

"I hope so Babe, but I may be totally wrong"  
"What's at this place?"  
"A research facility, I'm worried about someone using something other than conventional weapons"

"Like chemicals?"  
"Like biological"  
"A disease or a virus?"  
"Yeah"  
"Shit that could be concealed so easily"

"Yes and you don't need a lot to kill people"

I stayed quiet while she thought about that waiting for the next question but when it didn't come I glanced over at her.

"What are you thinking Babe?"  
"I don't know, maybe how barbaric someone has to be, I mean it's always innocent people who end up dead, and what does it accomplish in the end?"  
"Greed and power"  
"I don't understand why we can't live in harmony, accept that people have different beliefs, or are more successful"  
"Unfortunately that's the way people are Babe"  
"I know"

I needed to divert her train of thought, she was too naïve to the extremes some men would go to and her way of thinking would always to be compassionate and to think of the innocent lives destroyed, from drug addicts to prostitutes and not forgetting religion, there would always be men who would thrive from it.

"Babe if we need to make a stop let me know"  
"I'm fine, maybe while you go do your thing I can find somewhere to get something to eat"  
Shit I had forgotten she hadn't eaten last night and I was so keen to get moving this morning she hadn't had chance for breakfast. I could work with her stopping in a café while I visited the facility.

An hour and a half later I'd left her in a small diner on one of the side streets in Frederick with strict instructions that she hadn't to leave, I just prayed nothing happened that would make her, then headed to my final destination. I parked in the car park and then made my way to the entrance, my clearance should be enough to get in to see someone of some importance and I had questions concerning some of their incident logs. Once in I was assured that one of the managers would speak with me so waited for a Mr Colston to appear. I sat and watched as the lift doors opened and a small plump man walked out. He looked to be in his forties but with the receding hair and round glasses he could have been younger.

"Mr Manoso, if you follow me we can talk in my office"  
I followed him through the building, the section reserved for offices and workers taking note of some of the names on the doors as we passed. Once in the office I got straight to the point.

"Mr Colston I had reason to look through some of your incident reports and was concerned with some discrepancies"  
"We have minor incidents and the staff know to log them"  
"I know, but surely if staff are working with biological hazards there are strict protocols and procedures to follow"  
"Of course there are and I assure you my staff follow them"  
"So an incident log with regard to BSL-4, it was extremely vague and only recorded that a vial had been broken and disposed of"

"Well then that's what would have happened then"  
"How was a vial broken?"  
"I don't know"  
"How was it disposed of?"  
"We have protocols, staff would know what to do"

"But there's no record of the disposal"  
"Are you accusing us of something Mr Manoso, because I don't like your attitude"

I could see he was getting annoyed at me and from that I also knew he didn't know what I was talking about, he was some jumped up manager who enjoyed the position he carried without understanding the potential risks involved.  
"Do you even know what BSL-4 is?"

"Well of course"

"So what is it then Mr Colston?"

He didn't know, hadn't a clue and his blustering answers almost had me convinced that maybe they had indeed misplaced that vial.

"Mr Colston you obviously haven't a clue so get me someone who knows what is going on around here"  
"Who the hell do you think you are ordering me around"  
"The man who can bring in Homeland Security to do a full investigation"  
"You can't"  
"Try me"

I knew I wouldn't have the authority to do that but he didn't have to know and I'm a sure a quick call to the Colonel might put some actions in place. I watched as he stood up and lifted his phone and punched in a number, he was sweating now, did he know what was going on in this facility or was he just a suit that tried to manage it without being involved in the day to day running of the place?

"Jackson I need you here"  
"Yes now"

He sat down almost with a resigned look to his face, me, I lent back in my chair and watched him intently, knowing that the face he was looking back at was hard and cold, he was nervous of me, his eyes darting around the room and as the door opened behind me he almost jumped at the intrusion.

"Colston what the hell is wrong that I had to come up here?"

I didn't turn as Jackson obviously only realized I was sat there when he approached the desk.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize anyone else was in here"  
"Take a seat Jackson, this man has some questions and I think maybe you're better qualified to answer them"  
Jackson sat in the chair next to me and then turned to look at me. He wore a white all in one disposable suit and had the feel of someone who was in control, he was maybe early fifties, not ageing well, maybe the stress of the job he did got to him at times.

"Mr Jackson I was trying to establish if protocols were followed following an incident with a vial of BSL-4 that was reported broken"  
"BSL-4? but that would have been in the secure containment room"  
"Mr Colston doesn't know about it does he?"  
"I don't know about that, but I'm sure that everything is in order"  
"Mr Jackson the report states that a vial of BSL-4 was broken but there's no follow up report on it's disposal or the management of staff in the area"

"The room would have gone onto immediate lockdown and the staff would have gone through the rigorous decontamination air locks. Any minute leak would have sounded the general alarm and the whole floor would have been locked down ensuring air circulation remained just in that area"  
"Did any of that happen?"  
"Not that I know of. But the vial would have been inside an MSC, a microbiological safety cabinet, and had there been any spillage or breakage of the vessel then the person operating the cabinet would have immediately put into place the procedure for decontamination. We use the cycle of formaldehyde vapor, hydrogen peroxide vapor and then chlorine dioxide gas"

"The material left behind, the glass?"

"That would be re cased and stored in the departments waste containment storage safe, never to be opened again"

"So did all of that happen?"

"No, I would have been alerted"  
"So why the report?"  
"I don't know, maybe it wasn't a vial that contained BSL-4"

"Mr Jackson I need for you to do a full inventory of your BSL-4 cultures and vials"  
"But I'd know"

"Then you have nothing to worry about do you"

I wrote down the contact details of the Colonel and handed the paper to him then stood up to leave.

"Mr Jackson send your report to this man, and if I were you I'd make it happen quickly"

I turned and leaving the door open walked out onto the corridor it was always interesting to listen to a conversation when I'd left a room and this one didn't disappoint.

"Could he be right Jackson?"  
"No, I mean the people working down there are loyal, they know the dangers of what they are working with"  
"You better be right Jackson. What is BSL-4 anyway?"  
"The Marburg virus"  
"Shit, what the hell is it doing being worked on?"  
"We're looking for ways to develop an effective antidote"

"Get that inventory done"

I still wasn't convinced at how secure that virus might be, hell if someone stole a vial and replaced it with another then it wouldn't show up on an inventory, maybe I needed to talk with someone who worked in the lab. Now that I'd stirred things up around here and my initial thoughts of something being off were confirmed I needed to get back to Steph, I'd been gone for a few hours and I was sure she would be worried, I just hoped she'd stayed where I'd left her and not gone wondering around the town.

I parked the SUV in front of the café, pleased to see Steph still there, she looked up as though she knew I had arrived and immediately got up and made to come outside. I met her just outside, noticing how quiet she was, not asking questions like she would normally do. As I opened the door to the car for her to get in she stopped and turned to me, she looked so serious as her eyes locked onto mine.

"Will you just hold me?"

So I did, I opened my coat to wrap around her and brought her close to me, feeling her arms pulling on me around my waist her face pressed against my chest. I felt a shudder go through her as she pulled away but I still held her tight to me.  
"What was that for?"  
"I needed a hug"  
"Why?"

"I got caught up in a conversation with the woman who owns the place, she was so sad"  
I could tell that she was upset, she had always been the type of person who could feel and empathize with someone else, that's who she was, and the reason so many people loved her.

"Why don't we take a walk over in that park then you can tell me all about it"

I closed and locked the car and then with an arm around her shoulder we walked across the road and into the park. It was quiet here, with a light breeze blowing through the branches of the trees, we walked in silence down the small hill until we came to a lake and then started to follow the path that encircled it. Half way round I stopped us and sat down on a wooden bench pulling her to sit across my knees still holding her to me.

"What did she say that has you so upset?"  
"She lost her daughter a few weeks ago, well step daughter, but she said that they were as close as any mother and daughter could be"  
"How did it happen?"  
"Car accident, I suppose the shock of it happening must be so hard to live with, and she was supposed to get married next weekend"

"It can't be easy to lose a daughter like that"  
"No, she'd been so happy, a good job at a local lab and a boyfriend she loved, it just made me realize how precious life is and how you need to live it to the full while you can, that's why I needed a hug"

"Anytime you need a hug you don't have to ask"  
"The boyfriend, well he just up and left, the mother thought that maybe he didn't want to be around where the memories were"  
"How did she meet the boyfriend?"  
"He was a new worker where she worked, her mum was a bit worried with the whirlwind romance and didn't really take to him, but decided that if it made her daughter happy then who was she to question it"  
"So the boyfriend worked in the lab as well?"  
"Yeah"

As I listened to the words being said my thoughts were going round in my head, was this just a coincidence, I mean for a woman to be dead and the boyfriend to have disappeared when they both worked at the research facility.

"Her mum said she just couldn't understand why she would be out driving that late at night"  
"Was she on her own when it happened?"  
"Yeah, something about maybe trying to avoid a deer or something on the road, she lost control of the car and it turned over and over before coming to rest in the ditch"

"Babe, what about the rest of her family?"  
"Her dad's devastated, they're selling up and moving further south, too many memories"

I couldn't imagine my life in Trenton if anything happened to Steph, I could get the feeling the parents had and would probably do the same, there were too many places where the image of Steph would be so strong.

"You ready to go now?"  
"Yeah, thanks for listening to me"  
"Anytime Babe"

As we started our drive back to the city I couldn't help but wonder if Steph had accidently stumbled upon an important piece of information and in the end I realized I had to talk it through with her, she'd be upset if I didn't tell her my thoughts especially when it concerned something that she'd found out about. As we were near to the city I stopped at a small restaurant by the side of the road and parking turned off the engine.

"What we doing here?"  
"I owe you a meal out"

She waited for me to exit the car and as I opened her door she took my hand to help her get out and then we made our way inside. It was actually a very quaint place, with a cottagey feel to it. Beams across the ceiling and tables with white tablecloths and cutlery laid out. The place had the smell of flowers to it and I noticed each table had a vase with wild flowers in the center.

"It looks lovely in here"

"It is, are you hungry?"  
Maybe a silly question to ask her but I was sure she still needed to build up her appetite. A woman dressed in black trousers and shirt approached us, smiling as she came to stand in front of us.

"Table for two please"  
"Would you like to sit inside or out in the garden?"  
I looked over at Steph who was busy looking through into the garden so went with what I thought she'd like, after all she had been stuck inside for the last two days.

"Garden please"

We followed her out into a garden that resembled a cottage garden, wild flowers and trees all around, it was an ideal place and I was glad that I decided to stop. Once seated at a table underneath an arbor with flowers growing round it I watched Steph as she first looked at the menu and looked around.

"It's beautiful here, did you know to come here?"  
"No, pure chance, but I agree it is a lovely place to spend our time"

I was surprised when she ordered the same as me, a roast chicken dish with roasted vegetables but a baked potato to my rice and was pleased when she enjoyed it so much, though the sounds that she was making were a bit of a turn on for me, taking me back to the time we'd spent in the shower on the boat, and that seemed an age away.

"Babe, the girl who died, do you think she worked at the research facility?"  
I noticed her forehead go into a frown and could almost hear her thinking.

"The place you went to?"  
I nodded my head implying for her to finish talking.

"Well if she did I'm sure she wouldn't have done anything wrong"  
"The boyfriend?"  
"Are you thinking he used her, entrapped her?"  
"It's a possibility. He only arrived recently and then he disappears after she'd died and the incident wasn't recorded properly"  
"Oh god Ranger do you think he had anything to do with her accident?"  
"It would certainly tie up loose ends"

I was glad I'd waited until we had finished eating because that new idea certainly would have put a dampener on the enjoyment of our meal. I didn't want to take the conversation any further, knowing Steph she would want to mull the idea over in her head first. Once finished we made our way to the entrance of the garden in order to make an exit.

"What are these, they have such pretty purple flowers?"  
I looked at the plant that was growing in a section high up on the wall, why a restaurant would grow a plant like that was beyond me, as I gave my answer the waitress from before came through the door.

"It's Deadly Nightshade, very poisonous Babe"  
"Bella Donna, and yes it is poisonous but it keeps growing through from our neighbor, I'll take it down once the restaurant is shut"

"How can something so pretty be poisonous?"  
"No idea Babe, but it is used in manufacturing pharmaceuticals"  
We left that place and headed back to the apartment, I was curious what Santos had to report, how his day watching Ben had gone. Once in Washington itself the traffic was busier than it had been when we'd left so it allowed me time to focus on Steph, she'd been quiet again on the journey home and as it wasn't like her I was beginning to wonder what was wrong.

"Babe, you're too quiet, what are you thinking?"  
"About what you said before"  
"The woman who died?"  
"Yeah, I'm gonna see what I can find out when we get back"  
"That's a good idea, but what else is worrying you?"

"What exactly do you think has been stolen from that lab"  
I knew she'd ask and I didn't want to lie to her but I also didn't want her to get worried, so I knew what I told her wasn't a lie it just wasn't everything.

"It's a virus they call BSL-4"  
"Is it dangerous?"

"Yeah, it is Babe"  
"So you need to stop who ever has it?"  
"Yes, why?"  
"Promise me you'll be careful"  
"I will, that's why I never got too involved with you before, the idea that I might never come back, that I might never see you again, that was harder than staying away from you"  
"But it has to be better knowing that you were loved by someone"  
Was she talking about her or me, or maybe both of us?


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Santos and Ben were both in the lounge when we arrived back at the apartment and they both looked fed up, maybe now was the time to start to get a report from Ben and then later I could talk to Santos for his point of view, so I made a point of sitting down in one of the chairs, surprised when Steph sat on the arm of the chair next to me.

"Ben, report"  
"Mo asked me to nosey around the Jewish area, see what rumors were going about. I met up with some men down in some of the coffee shops and then by the synagogue. There was nothing to be heard, no one seemed to be talking about anything so I went over to the other side so to speak. There's a big population of Arabs, Palestinians and the like, but again nothing to hear there"  
"So you have nothing to report"  
"No, sir"  
"Santos"  
"Met up with some other special op guys, but not many around, apparently a lot have been sent down into Central and South America, some out to Syria and Lebanon. Those still here had nothing"

"Okay, I followed what could have been a lead, but we have nothing"  
"Did you have a good day out Steph?"  
"Yeah I did Ben, I had a wonderful meal in this amazing little cottage restaurant"  
"You feeling okay now?"

And there it was again, asking if she was feeling all right, what was it with him and his concern for her health?

"I'm good thanks Ben, tired, so I'm gonna shower and head for bed"  
She kissed me on the cheek and walked into the bedroom all of us watching as she went.

"I'm gonna check out the area"  
"You worried Santos?"  
"No, but it needs doing"  
I wondered what the hell he was up to but no doubt he would let me know, whilst I wanted to talk with him I wasn't about to leave Steph in the apartment alone with Ben and it was probably too early to contact Mo. I went into the kitchen and spent time making a smoothie for myself and then decided to make one for Steph as well, after all she had missed out on her dessert. As I emerged Santos came in and came up to me but spoke loud enough that Ben would over hear.

"All quiet nothing seems out of place, do you have the car keys?"  
"Yes why?"  
"You need to go down and lock the dam thing, you must have forgotten to lock it"  
I knew I hadn't, I also knew that Santos had a set of keys on him, okay I needed to go down to the car knowing now that Santos was here with Steph.

"Santos let Steph know I'll be back in a minute, take this through for her"  
I watched as he knocked and went into the bedroom with the smoothie, maybe he would stay there till I got back it would really depend on how Steph reacted and at the moment I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Once down in the garage I opened the car with the keys and sat in the driver's seat, Santos would leave a message in the glove compartment, no lock boxes or secret compartments in a rental car. As I read what he'd written I let out a sigh, Santos had done well to tail him today without being caught, but the places Ben had been didn't agree with what he'd told me, was he following orders from Mo to avoid telling me what he'd been up to, or was he someone we had to consider as disloyal or even treacherous? He'd met with two men during the day, obviously pre arranged; Santos had photos on his phone. I pushed the note into my pocket and considered my next move, for some reason I felt that Ben's interest in Steph was unhealthy, had it to do with the job we were on or was it something to do with that dam Nicolini man? Whatever the answer I had to get Steph away from Ben so with that decision made I went back up to the apartment and through to the bedroom, to find Steph propped up against the headboard with Santos, the pair of them looking at the laptop. Santos looked up when I came in and Steph soon realized I was there, she held her hand out to me and I went to sit next to her copying their position of leaning against the headboard.

"He's gone Ranger"  
"Ben?"  
"Yeah, he slunk out after you left and I was in here with Steph. He tried to get Steph to go into the lounge with him but she refused and I told him that Steph and I go way back"  
"He take anything?"  
"The bag he had with him"  
"We need to go"  
"Now?"  
"Yeah, I'm sorry Babe, but just put on your shoes and we walk out"

I watched as she slipped on her shoes and picked up her jacket and bag, my ready bag was in the closet with documents so that was all I needed, Santos was the same so we made our way down in the lift but made for the front door, the rental agency could pick up the car at their convenience but there was no way we'd be driving it anywhere.

"Ranger where are we going?"

I was sure Santos had a good idea but now I needed to talk it through with Steph, for now we were going somewhere where we'd be safe.

"Babe tonight we're staying at a friends house, but we need to talk and agree on what to do next"

I saw the look on her face, she was under the impression that I would send her somewhere, maybe even home, hell how had I done so much damage to her confidence, okay I knew how, the question I would ask myself was why, why had I pushed her away. I hailed a taxi to take us to a street not far away and then we were down in the subway using the metro, Santos stayed behind us, ever mindful of us being followed. Eventually the last taxi of our journey pulled up in front a house set back from the road, as I paid I watched as Steph looked over at the house. It was actually a nice looking house, two floors with windows on either side of the door, fresh paint and a well keptyard, I'm sure she was very curious as to who I knew that lived here. I made sure she was between us as we approached the door and knew he would be there to open it.

"Tank"  
"Hey, you're looking good Little Girl"  
"What, why are you here?"  
"I picked you up this morning"  
"You mean you've been following us?"  
"Just today, Ranger didn't like the idea of not having backup"  
"You mean he thought I would do something stupid"  
"Get yourself inside"  
With my hand at her back I guided her through the lounge following Tank into the kitchen and watched as he poured each of us a coffee from the large coffee machine.

"So this place, is it yours Tank?"

"Hell no, it belongs to Rangeman, any employee can use it"  
"But the apartment?"  
"We rent it if we know we have to be in the city, and some of the men prefer it than being stuck out here"  
"Okay I get that, I mean it was a nice place but it didn't have any character to it. But why not just come here first?"  
"I was being cautious Babe, and maybe I had need to be'  
"Ben, you think he's a bad guy?"  
"Well he sure isn't behaving like a friend Beautiful"  
"What's happened to make you think that?"

"He lied to me tonight and then he disappeared from the apartment and I don't know, like you Babe, there was something that didn't sit right with me"  
"Okay, I get that, but what if he isn't, I mean he could be on his own out there, or in trouble"  
"I'll call Mo"

I knew Steph wouldn't like the idea that Ben could actually have gone rogue, she'd take it personally and expect a rational explanation when maybe there wasn't one. I lifted up my bag and found the sat phone then walking into the lounge area put a call through to Mo.

"Mo how's it going?"

"Slow, France had nothing so we're at Marburg now"  
"Ben?"  
"I checked, his service record is excellent though even I couldn't get into some of the operations he's been on"  
"Mo what did you tell him to do today?"  
"Nosey round the Israeli part of the city and then other religious areas, you know maybe mosques and some of the Arabic areas. Why?"  
"He didn't do that and after I came back and it was obvious he wasn't going to be alone with Steph he disappeared"  
"Shit I can't believe that"  
"Whose idea was it to get Steph out?"  
"It was mine, Roda was desperate to get her out"

"Ben's input?"

"Yeah he was real keen too, we all were, in fact he came up with the idea of how we'd do it"

"Maybe that was the plan all along"  
"But why, what would be to gain from that?"  
"I don't know"  
"You find out anything?"

"Does the Angel of Death mean anything to you?"  
"Archangel Azrael is the angel of transformation. In Islam and Sikhism, he is called "Malak al-Maut," the angel of death" why do you ask?"

"That's what's got our governments nervous"  
"It could mean anything"

"I know"

"Keep me posted if you come across Ben, I'm not doing anything official until we have some proof"  
"Fair enough"

As I returned to the kitchen there was only Santos there, sat at the kitchen bar drinking his coffee.

"Tank's giving her the grand tour"

"I spoke with Mo, he didn't find anything and he won't do anything until we know what Ben's up to"

"He wasn't easy to follow today, spent most of his time going round in circles"  
"You're good, I knew you would be able to trail him without him knowing"  
"Yeah well these are the men he met up with"

I looked at the photo of the first man, he was maybe late thirties with dark wavy hair combed back from a high forehead and he had tanned skin, not dark but not fair. His eyes were brown but he looked nervous, and tired.

"Do we know him?"  
"No, the facial recognition is running both of them but no hits so far"  
I swiped the screen to the second picture again not knowing who he was, this one was older maybe fifties and with fair skin. His hair was receding but it seemed to be light brown but as he was wearing glasses it was difficult to see his eyes. I returned the phone to Santos as I heard Tank and Steph return and then brought her to me, standing her in front of me as I sat on the stool and looked at Tank.

"We need to decide what to do next"  
"Let's go sit in the lounge Ranger"

I could feel the tension radiating from Steph as we sat down on the couch, and she obviously wasn't going to say anything about what was bothering her.

"I've followed leads looking at the usual arms dealers and there was nothing out of the ordinary, yes they're still selling their wares to the usual terrorist groups and radicals but nothing big. I think the problem is here in the States"  
"The trouble Little Girl got into, what about that?"  
"I'm not sure yet, it may be totally unconnected or it could be a part of this"  
"So what do you propose to do Ranger?"  
"At the moment we have a possible lead that Steph stumbled onto this morning and the research she's been doing on Nicolini"  
"Ram told me everything when he got back"  
"The question is do we do the research from here or from Rangeman?"

I felt Steph turn and look at me, her eyes wide open.  
"For me to go home?"  
"I think you need some answers Babe from your parents and probably Morelli"  
I could see she had reservations about that.

"Babe you'll stay at Rangeman and will always have someone with you"  
"Beautiful we'll keep you safe"  
"I know"

"Babe would you let Bobby set you up with tracker?"  
"Under my skin?"

"Yes, each one of the core team and some others have them"

I watched as she thought that one through and came to a decision quite quickly.

"Okay, but only because the idea of Nicolini finding me is scaring me"  
I could see the fear in her eyes as she said that, I wasn't sure how much Santos and Tank really knew of what had happened to her and they seemed surprised at her answer, maybe if they knew they would be even quicker to defend her, if that was possible. I whispered in her ear so that only she would hear giving her the choice of what she wanted to allow people to know.

"Babe, can you show Tank what he did to you?"

I knew she didn't like what I asked of her but maybe it was a way of helping her to explain her fear. She stood up slowly and turned around, pulling up the hem of her sweater up her back. The scars weren't as red now and were definitely healing but that didn't stop the intake of breath that I heard. She sat down next to me, tears in her eyes not wanting to look at Tank or Santos.

"They threw her in the sea straight afterwards. Babe can I tell them the other method they used on you?"

I felt her nod her head and press her cheek against me, was she still thinking it was nothing, that what she had endured wasn't an act that had broken many strong men?

"They used waterboarding to try and break her"  
"Ah shit Beautiful, that's one of my worst nightmares, I still get a flashback when I shower or, I know this sounds crazy, when I get caught in a downpour of rain"  
"Little Girl I am so sorry you went through that, it's a barbaric treatment"

I felt her ease as the men talked, maybe now she would realize how strong she had been and still was.

"How about tomorrow we set off after lunch so we arrive back in Trenton in the evening?"  
"I'll head back first thing and when you arrive I'll make sure no one sees you"  
"That's probably for the best Tank. Did you get any further with Steph's Grandmothers case?"  
"Yeah, some old bat had a starters gun, you know the ones they have at races, anyway the fella there was getting a lot of grief from the old folk, was getting quite worried and edgy, so when the shot went off he collapsed with a heart attack and died right there on the floor"

"Why accuse my Grandmother?"  
"Everyone was shouting gunfire and half of the old folk fled, including your Grandmother, so the story started its rounds"

"Why did she leave town then?"  
"Someone told her to, that she was wanted for murder"  
"Do you know who, or if someone went with her?"  
"Not sure on that, you'd have to ask her"

"Ranger what you gonna tell your handler?"  
"I met up with Colonel Kempster yesterday, he's wants me to report directly to him"

"Yeah I heard he had his hand in with national security, you trust him Ranger?"  
I looked at Tank, not quite believing what he'd asked, hell it never occurred to me not to trust him.

"I've kept everything close to my chest Tank, I wouldn't have considered him a man not to trust. Why do you ask?"  
"No reason, I know you, you'll work something through and then decide who needs to know"  
That had unsettled me and as I thought about what he'd said I was absently stroking my hand through Steph's hair. As she moved slightly under my touch I looked down to find her fast asleep though her movements indicated that maybe she was dreaming.

"She still affected by nightmares?"  
I looked up to see Santos looking over at her.

"Yeah she is, some nights worse than others"  
"You seem to be able to calm her, you aint gonna do your usual trick with her are you?"  
"No, I'm done pushing her away, if she'll have me then I'm there for her"  
"She didn't half give Morelli what for"  
I looked at Tank who was smiling and obviously remembering a scene.  
"What happened?"  
"We got a call from Lula, hell she thought she'd killed Beautiful, anyway we got her FTA to the station and as we walked out Morelli stopped her"  
"Seems the FTA had read some poems Morelli had written about Little Girl and thought it was okay for him to try out his luck"  
"Beautiful slapped him right there in the police car park and threatened to put in a formal complaint to the chief"  
"What poems?"

"No idea, apparently it's where he got that stupid nickname for her"  
On the one hand I was pleased that she had fallen out with him and actually faced up to him but I was a little concerned what these poems were about, something to ask Steph when the time came up. For now though I decided that having her here next to me was probably more calming for her than being alone upstairs in bed. The three of us stayed there and chatted awhile, reminiscing over past missions and the use of the apartment and here but by 2330hrs we all decided it was time to get some sleep.

"I've put you two in the back bedroom Ranger, Santos you've got the small room at the front"  
"Nah, I'll stay up and keep an eye on things, I'll get some sleep in the morning or while we drive back"  
"Thanks Les"  
"De nada Carlos"

I actually slept in the following morning, I didn't realize just how tired I'd been, as I opened my eyes I looked straight into the bright blue ones of my Babe. Her hand gently ran down my cheek onto my jaw and stopped there.

"Good morning"  
"Morning, I don't know about that, it's nearly lunch time. You must have been tired"  
"I must have been, how long have you been awake?"  
"Maybe an hour or two"  
"You should have woken me"  
"And missed watching you sleep"

Her hand moved away from me and she made to move in order to get out of bed, but I held her on her shoulder, keeping her facing me.

"I love waking up with you by my side"  
"But?"  
Hell she thought I was going to say something to push her away, nothing could have been further from my mind.

"I want to wake up with you every morning"  
"You do?"  
"Te amo Querida, no more time apart, don't ever think or let anyone tell you that I will ever stop"  
"I'm sorry, I just get so, I panic that maybe you'll change your mind"  
"Never, I know I said those things to you but believe me when I say never again, I'm yours for keeps Babe and if you need it I'll say it every day"

"To amo Carlos"  
I leaned forward to kiss her and as she opened her mouth to accept me I heard a loud knocking on the door, I leaned my forehead onto hers knowing we had to get up before Santos broke the door down. She laughed as I sighed, yeah me sighing.

"I think Lester wants us to get up"  
"So do I"

Steph quickly got up from the bed and went into the bathroom, as I heard the shower turn on I went up to the bathroom door.

"Babe, you okay on your own?"  
"I think so, shit, no I'm not"  
I smiled as I opened the door to find her stood away from the water, lent into the corner, obviously still frightened of the idea of the water in her face. I still had on my boxers but leaned in and stood behind her as I allowed the water to hit me and miss her face. That shower was a first for me, the first time I actually felt a surge of feeling go through me, and not sexually though I had to fight hard to keep that at bay, it was a feeling from my heart, being there to care for her, protect her and know that she meant the world to me. Yeah I think it really hit me then just how much I did love this woman in front of me. Once dry I went through my bag and found a clean T-shirt and Joggers for Steph, they were far too big for her but once she rolled the trousers up at the waist they didn't look too bad. I'd noticed the box of tampons in her bag and needed to remember to ask Bobby for a prescription for her, I wasn't sure when she would need to start the pack but I was sure she or Bobby would know. For once Santos was quiet as we emerged and after a quick coffee we were on our way, there was a spare SUV kept here for when men came so something else to remember was to inform Tank that the house may need a car leaving there. It would take about 4 hours to make the drive so as I drove with Steph next to me Santos made himself comfortable in the back and it wasn't long before he seemed to be asleep. We made one stop along the way and I resigned myself to the idea of a McDonalds drive thru, at least they catered for the healthy option of a salad. We arrived at the outskirts of Trenton and Santos sent a message to Tank so he'd be ready for us when we arrived. True to his word the garage was empty and each camera was inactive, Tank helped Steph from the car and disappeared into the lift so I re activated the cameras so the men would know that Santos and I were back. I stopped on five to show my face and was pleased with the calm atmosphere that met me, a lot of men welcomed me back, Bobby being one of them.

"How are you Ranger?"  
The tone implied the question as to whether I was stable, not likely to blow at the smallest thing because that could be how a mission would affect me.

"Fine Bobby, no worries with this one"  
"Good, no injuries either?"  
"No, but maybe you need to come up to seven"

I left him watching my back as I opened the door to the stairwell and taking two steps at a time made my way up to my apartment. For the first time ever it felt good to be here, but I knew it was only because my Babe was waiting for me inside, I found her sat on the couch talking with Tank, her eyes were sparkling as he was talking to her.

"Yeah, everyone knew"

I only caught the last sentence from Tank before both of them looked up to see me and Tank had the audacity to smile, what the hell had they been talking about?

"So Ranger Little Girl said she'd work up here tomorrow but thought maybe a visit for dinner at her parents was needed"  
"You sure Babe?"  
"Yeah, I need to find out exactly what she knew"  
"Do you want me with you?"  
"I'd like that but it wouldn't work, she'd never say anything in front of you"  
"Okay but I'll be close by and we'll have the area covered"

She nodded her head at what I'd said but I could tell she was worried, and not about having men there.

"Ranger how are we going to let the men know she's here?"  
"I think if we keep the fact that Steph is here until after she's visited her parents, her being back will be all over the Burg anyway after that, so we can come back here openly"

I turned at the knock on the door and opened it to find Brown stood there but he wasn't looking at me he was looking at Steph.

"Bomber, what the hell are you doing here?"  
"Hey Bobby, you doing okay?"  
"I am now that you're safe and sound, where the hell have you been?"  
"Well, I err, I suppose Europe"  
I shook my head at Brown expecting him to stop the conversation but I don't know whether he didn't see me or chose to ignore me.

"You look different, yeah you had your hair cut and wow have you been dieting as well?"  
A look at Steph told me she couldn't cope with what he'd said and she simply bolted out of the room and through to the bedroom, I followed finding her laid on her side, a pillow pulled tightly up against her chest.

"Babe"  
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't cope with what he said, tell him I'm sorry"

I felt Bobby quietly moved into the room.  
"Bomber it's me who should be saying that, I know you're upset at what I said, I'm sorry"  
I watched as Brown approached her from the side of the bed, I had knelt behind her with a hand on her shoulder but could see how confused Brown was.

"Bobby, you didn't know, it's okay, it's me, I didn't have too good a time while I was away"  
"Oh god Bomber did someone hurt you?"  
She nodded her head at him and without me even suggesting it she turned over and pulled her T-shirt up. I could see first the anger in Brown's eyes and then the compassion as he gently pulled the T-shirt down.

"Did you find her Ranger?"  
"No, an Israeli team did, I just ended up with Steph through orders to team up with them"  
"Bomber can I check you over?"  
She nodded her head at him allowing him to pull the T-shirt back up.

"You're healing well Steph, there's no sign of infection, maybe though if you let Ranger rub in some oil it will help lessen the scarring"  
"Okay"  
"Did you get hurt anywhere else?"  
"No, maybe where they used a stun gun on my arm"  
I watched as she indicated to her left shoulder and watched as Brown examined a small round mark on her arm, shit I hadn't even noticed it.

"Were you seen by a doctor"  
"A medic, he cleaned me up and put me on antibiotics, he thought that maybe they had the stun gun set too high and it burnt the skin"

"I suppose it could happen, anything else?"

She shook her head and this time I really needed for Brown to stop asking his questions.

"Brown why don't we leave Steph and give her some space"

He took the hint, leaning forward he kissed her on the cheek and stood up walking from the bedroom.

"Babe, I'll get rid of the men and be back"  
Once in the living room I could tell Brown had all sorts of questions but both Tank and Santos knew not to divulge anything, it would be up to Steph to decide which people would know of the whole of her ordeal.

"Hell Ranger I'm sorry, I just never guessed she'd got herself into trouble"  
"Brown she didn't get herself into trouble, somebody set her up and did that to her"  
"Why, I mean those marks on her back are severe, did they do anything else to her?"  
"Yes, but not what you think, if she wants you to know she'll tell you Brown, but give her time"

"Okay, how's she been otherwise?"  
"As you'd expect, nightmares and feeling afraid, maybe a bit run down but she's eating better"  
"You want me to run any tests?"  
"No, she has enough to worry about without you frightening her with needles"  
"Point taken, let me know if there's anything I can do"  
I stood and went to the door standing with it open, a sure indication that I needed them to leave. I locked the door behind them and went into the bathroom to shower and shave then with my silk boxers on went to the bed, laying down I turned my Babe over to face me.

"You okay?"  
I could tell she'd been crying but her eyes were dry now, obviously she'd been thinking through what had just happened.

"How is it that men just seem to accept any scars?"  
"You mean like this one?"  
I pointed to my neck where Scrogg had shot me and then to each and every scar that I had on my body.

"Bullet wound from a mission"

"Knife wound when I was in the army"  
"Burn from an incendiary device"

"That's from when I fell out of a tree when I was five"  
As I showed her the scars she gently touched each one, laughing at the scar from the fall.

"Does it bother you that I have all these scars?"  
"No, I don't see them even though I know they're there"  
"The ones on your back are the same, they'll diminish but in some ways they become who you are, like this one"  
I pointed to the burn mark on her arm, the one Abruzzi had given to her.

"I know there's one on you backside from a bullet and one here from a fall"  
I touched her head and proceeded to touch every mark on her body, I knew it so well, and could probably say where each one had come from.

"How did you get this one?"  
"From when I tried to fly from the garage roof, I broke my arm and got a cut as well"

"Babe I love you and your body and all of the marks that are there, it doesn't matter to me because I also know who you really are"  
"Thank you for knowing what to say"  
"I'll always try to know what you need, and right now you need to sleep"  
I undid her bra at the back and gently pulled each strap down her arm until I could pull it out and then eased down the joggers over her feet, with her clothes on the floor I pulled the covers over us pulling her to me. Now was the time to relax and enjoy this moment because I would worry about tomorrow in the morning.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I heard my alarm go off and reached over to turn it off, I needed to get down to the gym this morning and get some workouts in, I may have been away on a mission but even I knew that my body needed the exercise to stay in shape. I gently eased myself from Stephs arms, placing my pillow next to her for her to hold and collecting some gym gear headed into the bathroom to change. On my way down the stairs I sent a message to Brown to have a prescription for contraceptive pills made out for Steph and then informed Ella that there would be two for breakfast at 0800hrs in my apartment. Once in the gym I went to the treadmill to start my run, it was quiet as I ran but soon men were coming in, most I knew but there were some new faces and as they gave me a curious look I just ignored them. As was agreed Tank would lead the meetings for the foreseeable future as officially I was still on government time, maybe it would be interesting to see how the place ran when I wasn't actually seen to be in charge. Once finished I went up to my office to shower and change, I had 30 minutes before I needed to be upstairs, and decided I would probably work with Steph on her searches today. As I sat checking my emails Tank came into the room and sat down in the chair in front of my desk. I wasn't wearing a Rangeman uniform, instead had on black jeans a white T-shirt and a black Sweater.

"You need anything doing Ranger?"  
"No, you okay running things?"  
"Hell yeah, I've got Bobby doing medicals, Ram's down on the range and Cal is doing any physicals we need doing"  
"Client meetings?"

"Okay I tend to do those but I'm getting Miguel on board with those and Manny and Binkie have taken on Installations"  
"Who are the new faces?"  
"I use them on reception and monitors with some patrols"  
"So everything's going smoothly?"  
"Surprisingly yes. Who do you want this evening?"  
"Ram, Cal and Santos"  
"Hey what about me?"  
"Okay you instead of Cal"  
"Good, I'll sort that out"  
"Anything that needs to be done?"  
"Only the usuals, quarterly reports and returns but you've time yet, you were up to date when you left"  
"Okay, I'm going to work out of the office on seven, there are a lot of things to find out"  
I watched as he nodded his head and left the room, that made me aware of the time so I headed for the stairs and up to seven. I could hear Ella busy in the kitchen and from how she looked at me I knew I was in trouble, what for I hadn't a clue. When she turned to me I could see the anger in her eyes and waited patiently for her to talk.

"I won't be a part of you bringing women here Carlos, you promised me it wouldn't happen"  
"Women?"  
"Yes, women. I know you, and you've disappointed me"  
"What the hell have I done?"  
"Only one woman is welcome here Carlos so get rid of who ever you're entertaining"  
The only clue I could see that a woman was here was Steph's coat and bag still sat on the floor by the couch, maybe it was time to have a little fun with Ella.

"So are you saying I can't date women"  
"You can date who you like but not here"  
"And if I choose to bring a woman here?"  
"No Carlos, I can't, no I won't provide them with any food and if you think I'm going to slave over a stove and make a dinner just for your little fling then think again"  
"So you don't want to meet the woman currently in my bed"  
That stopped her in her tracks and I could see her trying to think of a response, but from the corner of my eye I could Steph looking from behind the door, did she realize I was winding Ella up, I really hoped so.

"Well she's here now, so be polite Ella"

As I held out my hand for Steph to come to me I winked at her and Ella turned her back on the both of us, I was relieved to see the sparkle in Steph's eyes, knowing that she knew what was going on.

"Ella, I'd like you to turn round please"  
She huffed and spun around, a scowl on her face, that is until she saw Steph standing next to me.

"Stephanie, oh god it's you, when did you get here?"  
She didn't give Steph a chance to reply before her wrath came down on me.

"Carlos, why didn't you tell me, I should have known. Come here"

I watched as she hugged Steph, I hadn't realized just how much Ella liked Steph, hell maybe even loved her as much as the other men here.

"I need to go make you breakfast"  
"No Ella, what's here will be fine"  
"But I can make you your favorite"  
"Tomorrow, for now the fruit and yoghurt look good enough to eat"

"Do you need anything else Stephanie?"  
I could tell that Steph wanted to ask her something, she looked down at the floor and then back up at Ella.

"Ella could you maybe trim my hair so that the length is even at the sides?"

"Of course, I'll come up just before lunch shall I?"  
"Thank you Ella"  
"For you anything, for him maybe"

I saw her wink at Steph before she left and then turned to sit down at the breakfast bar.

"You know Babe, I think Ella would side with you against me"  
"Well you did lead her on"  
"Only because she jumped to the wrong conclusion"  
I watched as Steph took some yoghurt and fruit and began to eat, I was curious as to why she'd refused Ella's offer of pancakes.

"Babe, are you changing your diet?"

"After you left I decided to think more about what I was eating so I had started to eat healthier"  
"Why?"  
"I knew I was slowly putting on weight and that I was getting even slower, but I also needed to avoid Morelli so I had a double incentive to do it"  
"What happened with Morelli?"  
"I suppose I saw how we were together and I didn't like it so I told him it was over for good"  
"How did he take that?"  
"Not well, he kept turning up or calling, anyway I think after I took Martin Hopster in he got the message"

"What happened?"  
"Hopster thought he could assault me"

"Why would he think that?"  
"He err, read something Morelli had written about me"  
"Babe, what did he write?"  
"I don't know, but it's where that dam name came from that he uses for me"  
"Cupcake?"  
"Yeah"  
I could see that her whole demeanor had changed, was she embarrassed or was it that she didn't want me to know something?  
"Babe can you tell me?"  
"It sounds stupid now"  
"But it isn't if you're upset about it"

I heard her sigh and watched as she lowered her head and then listened as she quietly started to tell me.

"When I was working at the Tasty Pastry Morelli came in just as I was closing up, he locked the door and he started to kiss me. I don't know why but I just let it happen. Afterwards he just left but he wrote some crude poems around town about me"  
"Babe did he rape you?"  
"No, I mean I didn't know what was going to happen"  
"Did he use protection?"  
I saw her shake her head and then tried to work out when that could have happened, I knew Morelli went into the navy when he was 18, so Steph would only have been maybe 16, or 15? The bastard had taken advantage of her and then just walked out.

"Did he go into the navy afterwards?"  
"The next day"

"Shit Babe you were only, what, 15?"  
"I suppose"  
"What happened to him?"  
"Nothing, my mum grounded me for the whole of the summer and said it was all my fault"  
I stood up and wrapped my arms around her, hell why had she gone back to him when they were older and why the hell did I push her back to him?

"Babe, I'm so sorry"  
"I got him back a few years later, I kinda aimed the Buick at him and broke his leg"

"I bet it didn't take the hurt away though"  
"No, maybe if he hadn't put those poems up it might have been different"  
"So men who read them thought you were easy prey?"  
"Yeah, I never dated anyone from around here until Dickie and he was just another predator"  
"What can I do to make it right?"  
"Just keep doing what you're doing"  
"Love you with my whole heart"

She nodded her head and looked up at me, why was it that everything she did seemed to weigh her down, as if she felt she was always the one in the wrong or the one to be put down. That's when I realized that was what people had done to her, they had always made out that she was to blame, not good enough or it was her own fault, from her mother to Morelli.

"Babe you are one of the strongest people I know and you deserve better than to be treated like you have been. You aren't to blame for other peoples actions and I know you can fight back now"  
"I was trying, really I was, but then the whole thing with Grandma came up"  
"What do you want to do?"  
"Get some answers and get back the mindset I was working on before"

"I'm here with you so why don't we start that work now?"

I led her into the office and let her use the computer on the desk, I would use the laptop as it still had information from my journey in South America so with that in front of me I started to put together the report to send to Colonel Kempster, being aware of what Tank had said I kept my meeting with Mo brief, no way did I want Steph involved. I occasionally looked up from my work to look at Steph, she'd printed out some papers and was busy going back and forth between them.

"Ranger, which phone should I use to call someone?"

"The one on the desk, I'll get a new one for you when Ella comes up"

I was curious as to whom she would be calling and was pleased when she stayed in the room, but curious when she crossed her fingers of the hand lent against the desk.

"Hello, is that Mrs. Whittle?"

"Oh good, I hope you don't mind me calling, I spoke to you yesterday in your café"  
"Yes it is"  
"Well I know you're hurting but when I got home and was talking to a group of friends one of them mentioned a young man who'd started at where she works, I know it may be a coincidence but she said he was so sad and lonely and when she'd asked he'd told her he'd just lost his fiancé"

"It could be"  
"I know"  
"The thing is I don't know what he looks like and thought maybe you could send a photo?"

"Yes, that's what I thought"  
"I know, he might do better with you there as a friend"  
"Yes I will"  
"Oh yes can you send it to this number"

"I will Mrs. Whittle"  
"I hope so too, but whatever happens I'll let you know"

"You as well. Goodbye"

She put the phone down and looked over at me, she knew I'd been listening to the call and I had to let her know how proud I was of her.

"Babe, that was a brilliant idea, proud of you"

When the phone dinged with an incoming message she opened it up and revealed a photo that had been sent. I immediately recognized the young man stood next to the woman, shit it was one of the men Ben had met with the previous day.

"Do you have a name for him Babe"  
"Christian Adams"

"His name was on a list of people who worked in the lab, he would need to have an exemplary background and a search that was as clean as a whistle"  
"Have you run a search on him yet?"  
"No, you do that while I go talk to Santos"  
I saw that she was curious as to why I would need to do that and decided that if she was in this with me then she needed to know.

"He was one of the men Ben met up with in Washington"

"Oh shit, that really doesn't look good for Ben does it?"  
"No Babe, it doesn't, I just can't work out what game he's playing"

I left Steph working at the computer and went down to my office sending a message to Santos on the way, when I got there he was waiting for me and could tell from my face that I had more information.

"What have you got Ranger?"

I sat behind my desk and waited until Santos was seated before explaining what Steph had found.

"Steph has identified one of the men that Ben met, the younger one. His name is Christian Adams and he worked at the research facility"  
"Shit so you think Ben is involved?"  
"Yes, though how deep he is I'm not sure"  
"What about that Nicolini man?"  
"I don't know"

"If Adams worked at the lab he would had to have full clearance, they don't let just anyone in there"  
"I know, Steph is looking at him now"  
"What do you need me to do?"  
"Anything on the other man?"  
"No, nothing"  
"Tank spoke with you yet?"  
"Yes, I'm covering the back of the house. You gonna ask her to wear a wire?"  
"I'll suggest it to her"

"Okay, I'll be doing surveillance in the Burg before hand just to make sure there's no one hanging around"  
"Thanks for that"  
When Santos left I sent my report through to my handler, David Miller, and a copy to Kempster and then went back to see Tank.

"Tank do you have anything on that new detective, Ranor?"

"I ran a search, he moved here a month ago from Atlantic City. He got a promotion to detective and Trenton had a vacancy, he's married with one child and has bought a house in the Burg. Everything seemed in order"  
"I'll take a look, is it still in the system?"  
"Yeah. Everything's organized for tonight, Santos is at the back with Ram and I'm at the front with you, each man will be in an undercover car but will be set up with a full comms unit"  
"Steph's car?"  
"I left it at her apartment but made sure the trackers were still working"  
"Okay I'll drop her off there and then follow her to her parents house"

I left Tank's office and went back up to seven surprised at how quiet it was but on looking around I heard voices coming from the bathroom. I stopped at the door to see Steph sat on a chair and Ella carefully trimming her hair. Steph looked up at me and smiled, though I could see that she was nervous.

"Ella needs to wash my hair"  
I nodded my understanding and went to squat down in front of her.

"Then we'll do that together"

I don't know how she knew but Ella seemed to sense that Steph was nervous so when it came time for her hair to be washed I held her face making her look at me. Ella gently placed her so her neck was at the sink and used a jug to wet her hair, and after washing and rinsing she applied some gel that was then left in.

"All done, Stephanie, I used some gel that is left in your hair so we can style it"  
I left them to it after that and went through to my office and found the search on Collins and was still busy reading it when Steph came into the room. I looked up noting how well Ella had styled her hair, the sides were now the same length falling mid way between her jaw and shoulder and then the length was shorter as it went round the back of her head.

"It looks good Babe"

"You think?"  
"Yes, it suits you, Ella's done an excellent job"  
"Okay, it still feels strange, but at least it's in a style that looks professionally done"  
I stood and with each hand through her hair held her head and brought my lips to hers, hell she could have any style and I would still love her and want her, though I still enjoyed the feel of her curls as I ran my fingers through them.

"Still sexy and beautiful"  
I felt her head dip and saw the color rise in her cheeks so tilted her face so she had to look at me.

"Babe you are and always will be to me, don't let anyone tell you different"  
"Thank you"

"Come on we have a couple of hours before you need to get ready. Have you eaten lunch yet?"  
"Yes, Ella brought some soup up and some sandwiches"  
"I'll get some, meet me in the office and tell me what you've found"  
I went to the kitchen and took out a sandwich then with two bottles of water as well headed into the office, sitting down next to Steph at the desk.

"Christian Adams is clean, I can't find anything that seems off, so I err, did a search on Chloe Whittle and her family"

As I looked at her face I could tell that she'd found something of interest. I waited for her to continue.

"Well there was nothing in the search but my spidey senses were going off so I delved further into her step mother and father. I discovered that her real mother left when she was only three years old but she took her older brother with her and guess what, her older brother was called Benjamin"  
"So you think the Ben we know is actually her brother?"  
"Yes. The search for Ben Whittle stopped at the age of six when he was taken out of the country"  
"Where did the mother take him?"  
"Israel, she was Jewish"

"Maybe that would account for why he met with Adams, but we still need to find out why"  
"Could someone have been threatening them, you know threatening to hurt Chloe, so Adams would steal something?"  
"It's an idea, but we still need to find out if Ben is involved or whether it was a coincidence that he met with Adams"

"Okay, you get anything else?"  
"No, the detective that picked up the incident at the old folks home seems to be straight. Why don't you go and start getting ready for tonight?"  
"Yeah, I will"  
I knew she was nervous about that and really there was nothing I could do except give her strength through my support.

"You sure you don't want me with you?"

"Yes, as long as I know you're close"  
"Will you wear a wire?"  
I watched as she thought that through and knew from the determined look on her face what the answer would be.

"Yes, they've lied to me and because of that I got hurt. Can we have a safe word so if something happens you'll come get me?"  
"Of course"  
"Diana"

"Wonder woman's name?"  
"Yeah"

I laughed at the word she'd come up with but knew it was a way of her trying to find some control. Steph went into the bedroom to change so I contacted Tank to have a wire ready for Steph and for any conversation to be recorded, but not through the monitoring room then went into the bathroom to shower. It didn't take me long before I was stood in front of the mirror preparing to shave. I noticed a basket with Steph's makeup and other things of hers on the shelves. I smiled at how those things comforted me, yes I wanted her to become a permanent feature here but then worried that maybe once we had solved this case she would want to go back to her apartment, but if she did then I would make sure I was there with her. As I returned to the bedroom with a towel round my hips I saw her watching me through the reflection in the mirror, hell the way she looked at me had me reacting to her and I had to use every bit of strength I had not to pounce on her. I didn't care if she was still in the middle of her period that was something that had never put me off before but I knew she would be embarrassed.

"You look beautiful in that dress"  
And she did, it was a dark blue dress that effectively covered her skin from just above her knee to the roll down neck. Three quarter sleeves completed the effect as the material clung to her curves, with a small slit at the back to allow for walking. I liked that she hadn't put on a lot of makeup, okay I knew the mascara helped calm her nerves.

"I like you without makeup"  
By now I had dressed in black jeans and a black sweater pushing up the sleeves on my arm. I had an ankle holster and gun at my back so with a short leather jacket the weapon was covered. I walked behind her and put my arms around her waist pulling her back to me.  
"You'll be fine"  
"I know, but I'm still nervous as to what I'll find out"

I pulled the wire from my pocket and as there was no access from the neck of the dress I slowly pulled up the hem. I watched her reflection as the stockings came into view followed by a pair of very sexy lace underwear. I felt her lean into me as my hands moved up her stomach and brushed her nipple as I placed the wire in her bra, her eyes had changed to a deep blue, shit I was getting turned on as well, the evidence pushing against her back. I closed my eyes and quickly withdrew my hands smoothing down her dress and looked back to her face in the mirror.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get carried away, but that's the effect you have on me"

She smiled and turned in my arms gently kissing me on my cheek.

"I'm glad I affect you the same as you affect me but we really need to go"

"We'll pick up your car from your apartment"  
I held out my hand with her car keys and watched as she took them, someone was bothering her but I wasn't sure what.

"Babe?"  
"Sorry, how do you have them?"  
"Santos, he checked out your apartment at the same time, he said everything looked okay"  
"My apartment, I'll need to go back there won't I"

It wasn't a question and that feeling I'd had in the bathroom came back to me.

"No, I'd like for you stay here. We can pick up your clothes tomorrow if you want"  
She didn't answer but now I knew I had given her something to think about. We took the lift down to the garage, I made sure the cameras were blocked for our journey, and then helped her into one of the Cayennes; my Porsche would be too obvious parked on the street down from her parents. Once at her apartment block I walked with her over to her car and made sure it started, it should do because I'd had Al check it over yesterday, and then as she drove from the building I was soon following behind. I parked down the street with the house in view and watched as she got out of the car and walked up to the door.

"Here we go, wish me luck"  
Then she was gone from view, Santos, Ram and Tank messaged that all was clear, so all I could do now was to listen in on her conversation.  
"Hi Mum"

"Stephanie is that you?"  
"Of course"  
"Where have you been, I was worried about you, you could have let me know you were back"  
"Well I spent some time in Europe and then I lost my phone"  
"Why didn't you come straight home?"  
"Because I didn't know Grandma was back home"  
"Oh, I thought Joseph would let you know"

"No, so where is Grandma?"  
"She's with Mavis at the mall and then they're going to bingo. Why did you go to Europe?"  
"Because that's where the airport told me she'd gone"  
"How strange, because she said she caught a bus and went down to Atlantic City"  
"Well someone calling themselves Edna Mazuur flew out to London and booked into a hotel there"  
"You must have made a mistake, but never mind, you're home now and everything has been cleared up"  
"So the murder?"  
"Someone told Gertrude who told Mavis that your Grandmother was a suspect"  
"There was no murder was there?"  
"I don't think so"  
I heard a door open and close and the scrape of a chair.

"Pumpkin glad to see you back, you look pretty with your hair like that"  
"Thanks Dad"  
"I'll go get dinner on the table"  
"You need any help?"  
"No, sit down and talk to your father"  
"I'm sorry Pumpkin but it seemed you following your Grandma was what your mother thought was best"  
"I don't understand, where did she get the money from?"  
"What money?"  
"The money that went into my account"

"I don't know, maybe she transferred some of her savings across"  
I heard the door open again and pots being placed on the table then the sound of chairs being moved.

"Mum I need to know what happened"  
"Not now, eat your dinner Stephanie"  
Cutlery hit the table which I was sure was Steph, she was annoyed at how her mother was avoiding a conversation.

"No, you need to explain how I came to have $100,000 deposited into my account"  
"Ellen, what's she talking about?"  
"I'll explain later"  
"No Mum, you explain now"  
I watched with dismay as a car pulled to a stop outside the house and Morelli got out, he didn't even look around instead he walked up the path and straight into the house.

"Well you see it was your Bride Price"  
"What the hell is that?"  
"It's money given by the groom to the brides parents"

At that moment I assume that Morelli had entered the dining room.

"Joseph I was just telling Stephanie about the money"  
"You took money from him?"  
"Well he is your fiancé"  
"He paid you thinking I'd marry him?"  
"Now Stephanie don't be so ungrateful, it will help pay for the wedding"  
"There will be no wedding"

"Of course there will, he wants to marry you, you'd be stupid not to"  
"Cupcake we were meant to be together, I thought the money would help out"

"Help how?"

"Stephanie stop shouting at Joseph"

"You knew all along didn't you?"

"Cupcake what are you talking about?"

"You helped set me up didn't you?"  
"Set you up?"

"I was followed and attacked when I was away"  
"No, I had nothing to do with that"

"Goodbye Mum, and know this I will not be manipulated or sold by you or him"

"Stephanie where are you going, come back, Joseph stop her"

"Cupcake let me take you home and we can talk this through"  
"No, when I can get to the bank you'll have your money back"  
I heard doors being slammed and watched as Steph got into her car seeing her tilt her head back thinking.

"Ranger I'm going to visit with Mary Lou"

My phone beeped with a message and looking down I cursed at what it said as I watched Steph driving away.

"Santos, Tank, Ram stay on Steph, my handler just turned up at Rangeman. If you can tell her I'll see her back at Rangeman"  
I received their affirmative and peeled away from the sidewalk heading back to Rangeman, annoyed that I had been pulled away but also that he had shown up here in Trenton. Traffic was bad getting back which only fuelled my anger and I entered the garage fast enough to cause the car to skid to a halt. I ran up the flight of stairs into the lobby to see David Miller sat waiting.

"Mr Miller we'll meet in a room through here"  
He followed me through the door and into one of the conference rooms we used for clients. I sat down and waited for Miller to start the conversation. I knew I needed to be calm after all he did out rank me and I was technically answerable to him.

"What the hell is going on?"  
"I'm following leads to complete my mission"

"Here?"  
"Yes here"  
"Why is Kempster involved?"  
"He gave me an insight as to what might be happening"  
"You were supposed to find the threat"  
"And I am doing, did you read my report?"  
"Yes, you're way off track Manoso"  
"Why do think that?"  
"The threat has to be from outside the States"  
"Why?"  
"Because"  
"Miller read my report again and then explain to me how I am off track"  
I opened a computer at the side of the room and logged into my secure area, once the report was on the screen I motioned for him to read it. As he read I observed him and yes he was reading it carefully, judging from his change of posture I think he was slowly beginning to understand where I was going with the report. I'd only worked with this man once before, he wasn't my usual handler but when I questioned it I was told he was more than capable of directing the Intel to me and getting me any support I might need. He was probably older than he looked with a head full of sandy colored hair and a face that to be honest was forgettable. His only concessions to his age were the glasses he wore to read and the style of his clothing. He was shorter than me but looked to still try to keep his body toned but his hands were showing the characteristic swelling of the joints that came on through arthritis. As he finished he turned to me showing that he was now aware of the ramifications of what he'd read.

"There's more, I know you"  
"There is, but until I'm more certain I won't be divulging anything"  
"This is bad, if what you say is true"  
"It is, which is why I need to keep a low profile and follow the leads that I have"  
"Do you need anyone to support you?"

"You haven't supplied me with Intel from anywhere else, why's that?"

"There's nothing coming in, as you say we know who the usuals are but for some reason the threat we have doesn't seem to be usual"  
"I have people here who are cleared if need be and those people I know I can trust"  
"What about the Israelis?"

"They are in Europe following their own leads"  
At that moment an alert went out from my phone and my heart fell as I saw it was an alert for Steph.

"I'm sorry but you need to leave now, something has just come up that I need to deal with"  
"You keep me in the loop, do you understand?"  
"Yes Sir"

I escorted him through the lobby and watched as he walked away still trying to work out why the hell he'd come all the way to Trenton, but I had other things on my mind as I took the stairs to five and the control room.

"Hal, report"

"I'm not sure what's happened"  
"Hal, why the alert?"  
Santos came into the room so I assumed Steph was back in the building.

"Well I saw Steph go up to seven and then five minutes later I saw her again going up, but then this woman appeared outside of your apartment talking to her"  
"What woman?"  
"I don't know"  
"Where's Steph?"  
"She took off, she was running down the stairs and then opened the fire exit on three and took the fire stairs down to the street"

"The woman?"  
"Walked out through the garage"  
"Pull up Steph's trackers"  
I watched as the screen changed and saw the blue dots that gave her position, according to those she was still in the building.

"Santos pull up the video of anyone coming and going from the building, I'm going to check my apartment"  
Running up the stairs I had a horrible feeling going through me, what the hell had frightened Steph to run out of the building? My apartment door was open when I reached it so with a gun in my hand I carefully went inside looking around in amazement at what I saw. There was a trail of clothing starting with a pair of bright red FMPs then a red dress leading into my bedroom. On the floor was a red lacy bra and underwear but it was the sight of the bed that had me reeling. The sheets were in a tangled mess as though someone had slept in it or worse and the place smelt of a perfume that I was unfamiliar with. Shit if Steph saw a woman outside of the apartment and came in and saw this there was only one conclusion she would jump to. I raced back down to five and the control room prepared to look through the recordings.

"Santos?"  
"Someone who looked like Stephanie came in through the garage and used the lift, she was careful to avoid looking at the cameras but it looks like she had a key fob because she went straight up to seven and went inside your apartment. While she was there Steph came back, I was with her, and she said she was going to change. I opened the lift door for her and fobbed her up but I got off at four. As Steph got off the lift a woman came out of your apartment and spoke with Steph before she got onto the lift. After that Steph spent maybe five minutes in the apartment before she came barreling out and left through the emergency exit on three, that's what set off the alarm"  
I watched the screens as a woman came from the apartment, she looked nothing like Steph, probably the complete opposite with long dark hair and a tanned complexion, as tall as Steph but with bigger breasts and smaller hips, a tight fitting cream dress accentuating her figure. I didn't know what to say and my heart was racing as I realized that Steph probably thought the woman had been with me and in actuality the evidence she'd been presented with certainly validated that idea.

"Ranger"  
I turned to Santos not knowing what to do, her trackers were all up stairs and I had no idea where she would go.

"Alert patrols to be on the look out for her and find that dam woman"

"She went back down through the garage and disappeared from view of the cameras"  
"Ranger what did Steph find in the apartment?"  
"That dam woman set up the apartment to make it look like I'd just bedded her"  
"Ah shit, no wonder she ran"

"Hal can we get audio from outside of my apartment?"  
"Doubtful, but I'll see what I can do"  
I went into my office and started to pull up cameras in the area willing myself to catch a glance of Steph, she'd been on foot so couldn't have gone far, unless of course someone was waiting for her to come out of the building alone. The cameras didn't show any cars hanging around so I continued to search. Her phone and bag were all up stairs so she couldn't call and somehow I was sure from the look on her face she wouldn't want to speak with me. Shit she had looked so upset as she'd ran down the stairs and when I did find her it would take a lot of talking from me to persuade her that what she had seen was a set up. I must have spent at least an hour trying to catch a glimpse of her when Santos came into the room at such a speed I was sure he had something.

"I've been phoning around and Connie may have seen her but she wasn't sure, pull up the feed from the Bonds Office"

"What did Connie say?"  
"She'd been working late and thought she saw Steph down the street from the office but she was too far away to be sure and when she noticed the hair style and someone who was thinner she put it down to her imagination, and well, the woman she saw got into a car with a man that she didn't recognize"  
I pulled up the feed from the Bonds Office praying it would cover the area we needed to see and setting the clock back by 40 minutes both of us were intent on watching the screen.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

SPOV  
As I ran from the Rangeman building my heart was breaking into pieces I didn't think it would hurt so much but it did. I had done what I swore I wouldn't do, I'd lain open my heart for Ranger and he'd just smashed it into a million bits. How could he do that when he was supposed to be supporting me when he knew how much I needed him, when he'd said he loved me? All the time I was facing my parents and Morelli he'd been back at Rangeman. I couldn't believe it when that woman had walked out of his apartment, she was beautiful in a way I could never be, tall with straight brown hair, brown eyes and a perfect figure to go with that perfect face. She'd handed me a fob and apologized for the mess but she was in a hurry to leave, I felt like a hired cleaner the way she spoke to me. Obviously she was more what Ranger aspired to, more akin to his heritage, and I suppose I shouldn't be angry with her, but Ranger? Tears were still running down my face and I had no idea where I was going, just trying to put distance between Ranger and me. As I passed a park I went into it and sat on a swing in the children's area, there wouldn't be any cameras here and I really needed to sit down and figure out what to do next, apart from the fact that I had a stitch and hurt in ways I never thought possible. I had no bag with me so knew he couldn't track me but why would he want to now, his secret was out so he wouldn't want to waste his time on me anymore. And Ella, was that woman who she was referring to when she'd said there was only one woman she wanted in the apartment, did Ella just see me as one of the workers?

The problem was I had nowhere to go. I couldn't go to my parents, I refused to talk with my mother again for what she had done, my apartment was out because Morelli would look for me there so where else had I got to go. Mary Lou was out somewhere as I'd found out earlier which only really left Connie and Lula to turn to. Maybe Connie could help or even Vinnie, they both had family connections who might help me to hide because I really wanted to hide and not have to explain to anyone how stupid I had been. I knew it was getting late but maybe someone would still be around at the office, if not I knew the combination to hide out in the store at the back and could wait there until morning when Connie arrived. That decided I took the back exit from the park and started to walk through the back streets toward Hamilton Avenue. I wasn't aware of my surroundings, I think I was working on auto pilot because as I came down an alley close to the Bonds Office I felt someone grab hold of my arm and pull me toward a car. I looked up to see Ben, his face set as he steered me toward a car. Oh god, now what, was he in cahoots with Nicolini, was he taking me to him? As we got to the car he pushed my back to the door and stood in front of me. It was then that I saw how nervous he was as he looked around and then as he faced me I could almost see regret pass across his face.

"Steph I don't want to hurt you but there is something you have to know, will you at least listen to what I have to say?"  
He was almost begging me and with nothing to lose I nodded my head and got into the car moving across the front and into the passenger seat. He started the engine and drove down Hamilton Avenue and eventually pulled onto a side street not far outside of the Burg, how ironic was that?

"How did you find me?"  
"I was watching places you'd go and had just parked down from that Bonds Office to do some surveillance when you turned up"

"What do you want Ben?"

"Steph I'm so sorry"

"Why?"  
"Steph you're ill"  
"No I'm not"

"You are, in a few days you'll be dying"  
My heart rate hitched as I listened to what he was saying.

"How am I ill?"  
"You've been infected with a virus"  
"The virus Christian stole from the lab?"  
"You know about Christian?"

I nodded my head toward Ben, hell I probably knew more than he thought, but I wanted to get his side of the story first.  
"I don't understand, why would Christian do that?"  
"Someone threatened him and they said they would kill Chloe. He got in touch with me asking for help but then there were rumors about a threat to national security and I had to leave to go back to my unit"  
"But who wanted the virus?"  
"I'm not sure"

I dropped my head as I thought about Chloe and her mother, they were totally innocent in all of this.  
"They killed her anyway"  
"Yeah they did, but I didn't know until I met up with Christian"

"Oh Ben I'm so sorry about your sister"  
"You knew?"  
"I worked it out"  
"Steph the mark on your arm isn't from a stun gun, it's from needle free injection technology, it uses electrophoresis which propels the drug through the skin. That's what the mark was on your arm"

"Ben how do you know?"

"Christian told me when I saw him, it was him who provided the NFIT and he described what the mark would look like and what the symptoms would be"

"But I don't feel ill"  
"Not yet, it can take up to ten days to fully kick in and you have had some symptoms"  
"What symptoms?"  
"You had a fever on the boat and then on the plane, and then all that bleeding at that apartment in Washington. That was the start"

Oh shit was he telling me the truth? But what now, had I already infected people?

"Ben what happens now?"  
"I want you to die peacefully not through the horrendous pain from the virus"  
"You're going to kill me?"

"Steph if anyone else is infected it will spread like wild fire. You are the Angel of Death because of how contagious it could be"

"Someone wants me to infect people?"

"Yes"  
"But why, why choose me?"

"I don't know and I don't know who is behind it or what they're trying to achieve"

That thought frightened me, had I already passed on the virus, would my Merry Men be the first victims and Ranger, I couldn't bare the thought that I had inadvertently killed him.  
"I want you to write a letter to Ranger and explain everything"  
"You're going to kill me"  
"Please just write the letter"  
I didn't want to die no matter which way he wanted it but at least I could make my peace with Ranger plus it would give me time to think of another way out of this. I spent the next 15 minutes writing to Ranger, I wrote from my heart and explained what was now happening to me, I included as much information as I could from what Ben had told me because Ranger would want revenge for what had happened and really so did I. I wasn't sure if the necklace had a tracker or not but at least I could return it to him. I suppose the fact that that woman had been in the apartment was irrelevant now, I could never be with Ranger again and that thought continued to break my heart just a little bit more, maybe me dying was the only way out for me. I found it ironic that I was being called the Angel of Death as I removed the necklace and slipped it inside of the envelope.

"I'm so sorry Steph, I'm a coward"

"Ben?"

I watched as Ben took the letter and then as he started the engine I was surprised when he got out of the car and saw tears in his eyes as he closed the door. I heard a large clicking sound and then watched as he walked away, never looking back at me, what was happening, please don't let there be a bomb in the car, he'd said he would kill me peacefully and at that moment I really wasn't feeling very peaceful. I smelt and tasted the scent from the exhaust and realized that somehow he'd directed the fumes to inside the car and as the air began to mist up I began to panic. I had to get out, had to find a way to die that I was in control of. The door was locked and the windows wouldn't wind down and no matter how hard I kicked and pushed the door wouldn't budge. The air was becoming staler and I knew I had to get out. He'd chosen an old fashioned car which if it was anything like Big Blue would be almost indestructible. I moved over to the driver's side but the engine wouldn't shut off so I put the car in gear and with the brakes still on revved up the engine releasing the brakes at the last minute. The power from the engine surged me forward at speed so I turned the steering wheel and aimed for the trunk of a large tree pulling down hard on the wheel at the last minute so that the car swerved hitting the tree sideways. As I came to a stop and the buzzing in my ears stopped I realized I could feel a breeze blowing across my face. The engine had stalled and as I lifted my head from the seat I could see that the window was broken, how I was laid down across the seat I don't know but I did know I had one hell of a headache from where it had hit the window. I pushed the glass out of the way and managed to crawl through the window landing in a heap on the floor, thank goodness there was no blood anywhere. I had no idea what to now, I couldn't go to someone for help because I couldn't take the risk that I might infect them. I looked around and then recognizing where I was I suddenly had a plan.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

RPOV

"There"  
I stopped the video and looked at the screen recognizing Steph stood next to a car. It was an old beige Ford Mustang that had definitely seen better times and I watched as Steph got into the car recognizing the man with her as Ben. What the hell was he doing, had he set this whole thing up just to get to Steph, but why, I mean at one stage I actually thought he liked her.

"How long ago was this?"  
"Ninety five minutes"  
"Shit, put out an alert to the men"

"What you gonna do?"  
"Drive around, what else can I do?"

At that moment the internal alarms sounded and there were men rushing along the corridor, as I reached the door to my office Tank stopped me.

"A man just walked off the street into the lobby, put an envelope on the counter then put a bullet in his head"  
We all went down to the lobby and even with the blood and gore surrounding his head I recognized Ben, I felt no compassion whatever for him because he had taken my Babe away from me and now once again I had nothing to help me find her.

"Call TPD and let them sort this out"  
I turned and picked up the envelope that had fallen to the floor recognizing the writing as Steph's. Once back in my office I turned the envelope noticing someone had already opened it but there inside was a letter. I sat back in my chair and started to read it.

"Dear Ranger, I'm sorry I ran away but the images I saw and the words spoken by that woman shattered my heart, I should have known that I would never be enough for you and that was why you pushed me away. Thank you for being such a good friend and always supporting me but I'll leave you alone now and allow you to get on with your life. Ben found me, I don't know how, and he told me his side of the story. We were right that someone had threatened his sister but he couldn't do anything to help instead he is trying to stop the spread of the virus because it is me who is infected, I'm the Angel of Death. I don't know who is responsible or why they are doing it. Ben wants me to say goodbye to you and has a way for it to happen, I don't want to be responsible for spreading this virus. I love you and always have, thank you for being my best friend, my lover and soul mate"

I read the letter several times until the tears in my eyes caused the writing to become a blur. I couldn't lose her like this, I couldn't let her die on her own and right then I knew I couldn't survive without her in my life. I had to find her and I'd be with her to the end and for all eternity because I knew I would die with her. That she thought I'd betrayed her love was killing me so with that resolve within me I was determined to find her and just prayed that Ben hadn't already killed her and for that I needed to become the man she had fallen in love with. My door opening stopped my thinking and Santos came into the room, I couldn't read his expression because his face was blank, which really wasn't a good thing.

"Police scanner just reported finding a beige Ford Mustang, bust up but no one was inside. They think the exhaust had been directed into the car and who ever it was had second thoughts"

"Hell did he intend to kill her like that?"  
"Looks like it but it seems she managed to get out"  
"Any sign of Steph?"  
"No, but no blood either so she isn't hurt"  
"Where was it?"  
"North east of the Burg"  
"Send patrols over there to patrol, but not to go near her"  
"Why not?"  
"Ben told her that she's been infected with the virus"  
"Oh shit Ranger, we'll need a Hazmat team"  
"Not yet, tell Bobby to be prepared"

As I thought through what she'd written in the letter and what Ben had intended to do to her I wasn't sure how she would cope, would she panic and try to run anywhere or would she come up with a plan. Knowing Steph as well as I did I think she would come up with a plan that would remove her from coming into contact with anyone, that's who she was. What I worried about was someone else finding her, probably who ever was responsible for the woman in my apartment.

I walked into the control room and could hear laughing coming from Miguel, he soon shut it down when he saw me but still felt he needed to tell me what he found so funny.

"Morelli just discovered that his bike's been stolen from his garage"  
Now while that could be seen as funny under normal circumstances it wasn't now but it did have me thinking. I nodded to Santos and made my way back to my office and waited for him to enter before shutting the door.

"Steph can ride a bike"  
"You think she could have taken it?"  
"It would get her to a secluded spot"  
"You think she'll head to the beach?"  
"No, I know that's where she feels at peace but she'd know I knew that"  
"So where would she go?"  
"I have absolutely no idea"


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

SPOV

I wasn't sure whether to feel guilty or not and the fact that I was even thinking about it pissed me off. As I maneuvered the Ducati bike into the undergrowth I smiled as I thought of what Morelli's reaction would be when he discovered it missing, along with a few other bits and pieces. I left everything where it was because I needed to get a feel for the place I'd come to, not really enjoying the memories that it conjured up. I came to the back door of the cabin and looked carefully through the windows to make sure no one was inside. It was exactly as I had remembered it and fought down a shiver that threatened to consume me. I had to be strong, had to keep to my plan because I knew that more than my life depended on it. I wondered if Ranger had got my letter yet and again felt a sadness so deep surge through me, I had really thought we'd had something special together. As I opened the door to the cabin I took a look around using the Maglite I'd brought with me, it was only one room with a small bathroom to one side, a bed in the corner and a small row of cupboards that passed for a kitchen. An old thread bare couch stood in front of an open fireplace, there were no luxuries in here but I was glad that I'd had the foresight to bring things with me. There was a covering of dust on the worktops and over the floor which had me wanting to clean it away but I knew I had to leave the illusion that no one had been here, after all Morelli knew about the place and when he realized who had been in his house and discovered I wasn't around he might just come here. I felt so tired all of a sudden so headed back out to the bike to bring in a sleeping bag from the panniers then folded back the dust covered sheet from the bed and snuggled down inside of it. I'd made sure both doors were closed and locked but for once had an escape route worked out in my head, Ranger would be proud of me if he knew how seriously I was taking my safety. I tried to sleep but every time I closed my eyes I would see the face of that woman in my head and then when I eventually slept I woke myself from an awful nightmare, I'd been stuck in that dam car again the fumes slowly filling up the inside and as I looked out I could see Ranger with his arms around her.

It was the light coming in through the dirty windows that had me waking up trying to remember where I was and seeing in the day light just how drab and dirty this place was.

I stilled as my brain slowly took in where I was and then froze as I heard voices. Shit who the hell had found me, surely there was no way to do that, I'd left everything at Rangeman and had even found clean clothes at Morelli's that had been left there from an age ago. I carefully got out of the sleeping bag and pushed it from view under the bed then very slowly went to the side of the window that overlooked the front of the cabin. My eyes, I'm sure went big as I took in the sight of Morelli but I didn't know who it was with stood talking with him. Their voices came to me loud and clear, the walls were thin and the air was still outside so listening in to their conversation was easy.

"Joseph why have you dragged me out here?"  
"I need to find Stephanie. She may have come here, I know those thugs don't know of it's existence"  
"But surely she would contact you for help wouldn't she?"  
"Yeah well after that whole fiasco with the money she got annoyed with me"  
"Couldn't she see you were just trying to help her out?"  
"I think something happened to her while she was away"  
"So she's blaming you?"

"Yeah and I suppose with the money turning up like that and the trouble her Grandmother seemed to be in I don't blame her"  
"No Joseph, your Nonna thought she was helping you out"

"Well it didn't work did it, I wish I'd never listened to her now"  
"She meant well and thought she was helping"  
I tensed as Morelli tried the door and ducked down below the level of the window, a quick look round assured me he wouldn't see anything to give him the idea that I was here.

"So why has she run away?"  
"I don't know but one of the men from Rangeman said all hell broke lose last night and that they were looking for her"  
"I think you should just forget about her"

"Zio do you know something you're not telling me?"  
"Of course not"  
Morelli only sighed as he continued to look around.

"She's not here, the place is just as we left it years ago"  
I heard from their voices that they were moving away but I had an insatiable need to know who the hell the other man was so I slowly stood up and looked from the edge of the window.

"You know you'd do far better with Leanna, she's Italian and beautiful and much more your style than that Plum woman"

"Not happening Zio"  
"Okay, okay, I tell you what I'll get the boys to look for her, she can't have gone far after all you said she had no one to go to for help now"

What was it about him that had my senses on high alert? Was he a part of what was happening, was Morelli? Though he seemed a bit naive as to what this Zio was saying.

"Look I have to get back to work can you look for her for me?"  
"Of course, I will give it my utmost attention"  
I walked across to the other window and watched as they walked from view then heard the sound of car doors opening and closing before car engines receded into the distance. For some reason I didn't feel safe here any more, I knew Morelli didn't think I'd been here but I wasn't so sure about the other man and much as I had wanted to catch a glimpse of him I'd missed seeing his face. Confident that I was now alone I dragged the bag from underneath the bed checking that everything was as I found it and then pulled the back door closed this time making sure the latch would lock the door and returned through the undergrowth to where I had hidden the bike. I was being extra careful as I walked, trying to cover up any evidence that I'd been through here. Straddling the bike now dressed in full leathers and wearing a helmet I carefully pushed the bike down the small slope to suddenly pull on the brakes when I heard the sound of a motor. Shit I hoped Rangeman hadn't followed Morelli out here, I really couldn't bare to face Ranger now, especially as he'd made it so obvious that I wasn't the one for him. I wondered if he told all his women that he loved them expecting us to remember his qualifiers even if he didn't repeat them. Luckily I was still in the covering of trees when I saw two cars pass me by on the track heading toward the cabin and since the cars were colored, one green and one grey was sure that it wasn't Rangeman. I didn't know how to feel about that, maybe a little sad because at the end of the day I felt like I had lost my friends from there as well. I slowly let the bike free wheel down onto the track and then when I felt I was far enough away I started the engine and raced toward the road. I had no idea where to go now but was mindful that I could be contagious so headed south once on the main route and then turned left to follow the coast, yeah I had always felt more at peace by the shore. I didn't want to end up in Atlantic City, too many people nor was I keen on the idea of New York for the same reason, so as I came to a junction I turned left again and headed north making a turn across to Long Beach Island and then south along the single road. I knew there were lots of detached houses along here but I sped past those toward where the road ended then stopped and looked ahead of me. I took my helmet off and then with the breeze blowing through my hair slowly navigated along a sandy track that would take me to the end of the island. I thought how luck must have been with me for once when I saw that the tide was out and I could navigate across the open hard sand onto Tucker island. No one would come here and when the tide came in it would obliterate the tracks and isolate me from the rest of the world.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

RPOV

It had been 24 hours since Steph had been gone and I felt like I was breaking, that she would think I would betray her was something I needed to put right but the fact that she had been infected with that virus and that she would die alone and in pain had my heart almost going into palpitations. I had never felt so afraid and to be honest didn't know how to cope with it. I'd spent all night going through cameras around the streets of Trenton but I was under no illusion that if Steph didn't want to be seen she'd find a way. Morelli had been here early this morning ranting and raving as his norm demanding to see Steph, when I assured him she wasn't here he then accused me of throwing her out like a plaything I'd got tired of. It had taken Tank and Cal to hold me back from beating the shit out of him but as Santos had manhandled him through the lobby he had answered his phone to Zia. I knew Zia was Italian for uncle so nodded my head at Santos hoping he'd understand to follow him. Him and Miguel had followed him back to his house where another car was parked and not long after he emerged with another man each getting into their own cars. I watched the tracker from the car Santos was driving as it wound its way south and into the Pine Barrens.

"Ranger they stayed together and have headed along a narrow track, we're parking up and following in by foot"  
"Be careful and if Steph is there you have to let me know"

I waited, not feeling very patient for him to get back to me.

"Nothing, they moseyed around a cabin but then left, I checked the cabin out but no sign of Steph, though I think she may have been here or close by I found some tire tracks away from the cabin. They've split up. Who do you want me to follow?"  
"The man that met up with Morelli, try and get a photo of him and send it back"

As I sat in my office I kept watch on Santos and then with a sigh decided I needed to talk with Mo, he'd want to know what had happened and it had been a while since we'd been in touch.

"Ranger, you checking up on me?"  
"No Mo, bad news"  
"Ah shit a break out of the virus?"  
"No, Ben is dead"  
"Hell, how?"  
"He knew what was going on Mo and he worked out that Steph had been infected with the virus"  
"Shit, is she confined?"  
"No, I think Ben tried to kill her but she got away and then he walked into Rangeman and blew his brains out"  
"Any ideas on where Steph is?"  
"No we may have some leads but nothing so far"  
"Ranger if she gets into a high populated area?"  
"She won't, she knows that risk so is hiding out somewhere"

"We've found nothing here so we're actually on our way to you. You notified the authorities?"  
"No, let me find her first Mo"  
I heard the dial tone so knew he'd hung up on me so focused back on the tracker with Santos. He had headed north toward New York and was now parked on a small road on the west of the city.

"Santos report"  
"He came back to a secluded house and hasn't come out, I'll send the address so you can do a search on it"

"I'll send a team to relieve you, but nothing has come back from facial recognition on the photo you got"  
"I didn't think it would, it was a crap photo but other than taking it from a distance through the car window there was no other choice. What about the car plates?"  
"Not registered"  
"Shit, any other news?"  
"Mo and his team are on their way here"  
"Beautiful?"  
"No"  
I killed the call because I couldn't talk about it and sat watching the screen from my computer, I was feeding through camera footage from roads south of the Pine Barrens in the hope that the program we had would pick something up, I'd put in the only parameters I had, the plates for Morelli's Ducati bike. I was watching the screen when it started to flash at me and couldn't believe that it had picked something up but when I clicked on the image that was flashing, there was the bike and it was heading over the bridge onto Long Island Beach. I don't think I would have recognized Steph as the driver, dressed in full leathers that seemed too big and the helmet with a full face visor, but somehow I knew it was her and my heart leaped at the realization that I was close to finding her. I focused on the camera at the other end of the bridge and typed in the time to correspond with the one I was looking at, she'd passed through here five hours ago and it seemed she turned right along the road. I brought up a map of the area seeing a lot of beach houses along the road but sensed that she would travel far away from any people and the furthest she could travel was down to the furthest point of the island, maybe further if she was brave and confident enough to travel across the sand when the tide was out. I rushed upstairs to my apartment pleased that it was back to how it usually was but the emptiness hit me as I walked through to the bedroom. All the windows were open to allow that horrendous smell from that woman's perfume to dissipate, I would need to thank Tank for talking with Ella, she'd refused to even be in the same room as me when she saw the state of the place. It had taken him 30 minutes and the tapes before she had relented to the notion that the whole thing had been a set up and even now she was acting coolly toward me, even though Tank had showed her that I was downstairs with David Miller and thinking about that now gave me pause for thought, was him being here at the same time a way of distracting me, or was the man who had met up with Morelli involved? I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind because the most important thing right now was to find Steph and convince her that she was the only woman for me. I packed a large rucksack with things I thought we would need and then headed down to the garage taking the keys for the Bronco truck. As I made my way through the gate I saw Tank come barreling through from the stairwell door, no one would know where I was going, I'd turned off my phone and disabled the tracker on the vehicle there was no way I wanted anyone else with me. If Steph was ill then I would stay with her and if I became infected with the virus then so be it.

As I passed over the bridge I could smell the air from the ocean, Steph had always loved to be by the shore, to smell the air and listen to the waves and I could understand her wanting to come here. As I passed the houses the road was quiet so knew no one was following me, I'd taken evasive measures on my way here to throw off a tail. As I reached the end of the track I could see that the tide was on its way in so kicked the truck into four wheel drive and killed the lights, after all I didn't want to advertise to anyone that there was someone out here. Once on the other side I parked up the truck and hoisted my rucksack from the rear seat, I knew she was here, I could almost sense her presence and really hoped that she would listen to me for the explanation of what she had come across in my apartment. Wearing infrared goggles I started to walk along the east side of the island, checking between dunes and wasn't surprised to see the shape of her toward the end of the land formation, up from where the tide would come up to but close enough to hear the waves. I stood watching her from a distance and very quietly walked toward where she was. A few yards away I placed my rucksack on the ground along with the goggles and then sat cross legged next to her, simply watching her as she slept. Her sleep wasn't calm or quiet as I saw her movements increase and tears fall down her cheeks. I swept my hand through her hair, but there was no way I could keep away from her and ended up laid down next to her, holding her to me and filling my senses with her. At first she turned into me and seemed to calm but suddenly I felt her go very tense and was looking at her eyes that showed me she was wide awake. As she tried to pull away from me I held her tightly.

"You can't be here"  
"Why not?"  
"The letter, did you get the letter?"  
"Yes, that's why I'm here"  
"But you can't I"  
"Shush Babe, I said I would always be with you"  
"But you can't"  
"I will never leave you Babe"  
"You'll die"  
"Then we die together"  
"I don't want you to die because of me"  
"Not because of you, this is the action of someone else"  
"But you don't need me, I know I was stupid to think that"

I could see the tears forming in her eyes, dear god is this what I'd done to her, knocked away at her confidence bit by bit by pushing her away?

"Babe I need you more than air itself"  
"I can't do it, I can't just be a friend with benefits, I'm not built that way"  
"Babe the woman you saw, it was a setup, I hadn't even been up to the apartment"  
"But"

"You are the only woman I need or want"

"But"  
I stopped any further talk by moving my lips to hers, holding her head to me with one hand and her hips to my body. As our tongues met I felt so free, so at rest, the way we were moving together was slow and purposeful. I moved my mouth to her neck licking and kissing at the places I knew pleasured her, a hand moved from her back underneath her T-shirt to gain access to her beautiful pert breasts. Her shirt disappeared along with her bra and my mouth took over from my hands. I felt my T-shirt being lifted away and moved to quickly remove it relishing the feel of her hands as they played along my muscles and down my back. No words were said or needed, the feelings that engulfed me said it all and soon we were both naked as we continued to explore each other's bodies. I moved above her and trailed kisses down her stomach, my hands already enjoying the feel of her opening and my fingers exploring the depth of her. I returned to kissing her breasts as I felt her raise her hips and with a bite and soothing lave of her breast felt her first orgasm roll through her. Her sounds were quiet and almost melodic as I started to push myself into her, she was so wet and tight for me and each thrust I made was met by her hips moving up to greet me. Her mouth was skimming the area of my neck and I knew I was very close to coming. I held her face in my hands and looked into her eyes and with a final thrust felt the mother of all orgasms roll through me and be prolonged as her muscles pulled me in. Her eyes had turned nearly to black and it was as though she was taking me into her, I felt a part of her, our souls becoming one as the orgasm tore through our bodies.

"Forever Babe, I'll always be with you"

"I love you Carlos, forever"  
I turned bringing her onto my front not wanting to lose the intimacy between us but feeling the need to maybe cover us over.

"Just let me get my bag"  
I moved away and got up to bring the large bag I had packed and put it down beside me. I brought out two blankets and pulling her up placed one on the sleeping bag and as I laid down next to her pulled another one to cover us, I had no need for it but knew she would feel better being covered. Pulling her toward me I gently caressed her face and ran my hand up and down her back. I was surprised when she didn't immediately fall asleep.

"What're you thinking about?"  
"Fate, how when I eventually find you fate steps in and takes you away"  
"Not yet it hasn't, you're not ill so maybe fate has stepped in and saved you"  
I pulled a box from a small pocket of my bag and then turned her head to look at me.

"Babe, you are an angel to me, my angel, you are the light of my life and I will always be with you"  
I pulled a ring from the box and leaning back took her left hand.

"Babe will you accept my ring, in sickness and in health I promise I will be there for you, love you and cherish you till our dying days"

I saw the tears in her eyes as she nodded her head; I think for once she was lost for words, at least I hoped that was why she was quiet.

"Babe?"  
"Yes I accept your ring, to love and cherish you through everything till our dying days"  
I slipped the ring onto her finger and took her back into my arms knowing that she would be mine forever. Neither of us wanted to sleep so we spent the remainder of the darkness showing each other over and over again how strong our love was for each other. I knew that dawn was starting to make an appearance as we both drifted to sleep.

Chapter

For the first time ever I wasn't woken up by the smallest of sounds but was woken by a piercing scream coming from Steph. I quickly sat up, gun in my hand to see a figure stood in front of us wearing a hazmat suit. I pulled Steph to me using the blanket to cover her but still had the gun pointed at the figure.

"Ranger, I need to take a sample of blood from the both of you and then I'll leave"  
"Bobby?"  
"Yeah it's me Steph"  
"What are you doing here?"  
"We want to help, but don't want to interfere"  
I put my gun down but I really felt like just shooting him and I knew he could see that in my face.  
"Ranger we need to check and see if she really was given the virus, if it comes back negative then you can both leave here. If it's positive then I'll help out with the symptoms. No one other than the core team know you're here"

Okay I could go with that and moved my arm toward Bobby for him to take a sample of my blood. Once it was done I turned to Steph who really didn't want to cooperate.

"Babe, let me hold you while Bobby does it"  
She moved into me holding out her arm but she was so tense as she prepared for Bobby to touch her. I lifted her face to mine and to take her mind off what was about to happen plunged my tongue into her mouth, I felt her relax into me and from the corner of my eye watched as Bobby tied a band around her arm deepening the kiss as he moved the needle to her arm.

"Err, Steph, all done now"  
I pulled away smiling at her and nodded to Bobby.

"There's food in a box and clean clothes, we even have a tent and a mattress so I'll go bring them"  
I wrapped the top blanket around Steph and quickly pulled on my combat trousers as we both stood and watched Bobby leave and two more men in Hazmat suits appear from behind the sand dune carrying over some boxes.

"Beautiful is there anything else you need?"  
She shook her head as she looked down at the floor, I don't think she really understood the lengths these men would go for her.

"Ranger we're keeping a perimeter 500 yards around you. Use the phone if you need us"  
"Thanks Tank"

We both watched as they all left and then I walked over and started to take things from the boxes. The tent was one that sprung together and had a built in groundsheet and with the thin mattress gave us some privacy and a comfier place to lie down on. Steph pulled out new sleeping bags and zipped them together before laying them down on the mattress stepping back when she had finished. I fetched a box of food over to the bed and then got rid of my trousers to get in. Steph watched me and laughed before getting back into the bed. As we lay wrapped together I knew she was too caught up thinking to sleep again and was waiting for all the questions that I knew she would ask.

"What happened to Ben?"  
I stopped rummaging through the food to look at her, hell we hadn't even spoken about what had happened yesterday.

"He walked into Rangeman and shot himself"  
I could see the look on her face as she absorbed that piece of information, she was feeling sorry for him and I didn't want her to do that.

"Babe he wanted to kill you"  
"I know but he thought it was the only way out"  
"Babe he made choices all along the way, he chose not to tell anyone about the threats to his sister or the fact that Christian had stolen the virus. He chose not to say anything when he first knew you'd been infected or even after that"  
"He told me that he hated it when his commanding officer didn't make a decision and the unit he was with all died"  
"I don't know the details of that"  
"I suppose you're right, he could have gone to someone for help"  
"His sister may still be alive and the virus may never have been stolen"  
I watched as she thought that through and believed that she was on board with what I was saying so I continued to pull food out of the box. There was a thermos of hot soup so I poured us both a mug full and tore off some bread handing them to her.

"Ella, oh shit, she's gonna freak over the state of your apartment"

"I asked Tank to fully explain what happened so hopefully she'll understand"  
"How did that woman get in there?"  
"I think she had your key fob"

"That's what was wrong with the car keys, but I didn't realize what was missing"

"Santos can't remember when he last saw it, it could have been taken from your apartment before he hung them up in the garage'

"How did the men miss her coming into the building?"  
"She dressed like you and had on a curly brown wig so the men on monitors thought it was you, until you came in and then they couldn't work it out"  
"Well she certainly looked the part when she came out"  
"So did our apartment"  
"Do you know who she is?"

"No, but I'll find out. Babe did you really put your angel necklace in the envelope?"  
"Yes"  
"Well it wasn't there when Ben brought in the envelope"  
"Was it on him?"  
"No, which means he met up with someone before he got to us"  
"Is it a tracker?"  
"No, I would have told you if it was"  
"So how on earth did you find me?"  
"Morelli's bike, when we heard it had been stolen I thought maybe it would be something you would do. Morelli came in to Rangeman trying to find you so I had Santos follow him"  
"Morelli turned up at the cabin with another man"

"So you were there?"  
"Yeah, I stayed hidden until they'd left"

"Santos was there and he didn't see you either but knew you'd been there, why did you leave?"

"I felt jittery which was probably a good thing because two cars came in after Morelli had left"  
"How are you feeling about the conversation at your parents?"  
"Annoyed, no mad, what mother basically sells her daughter?"

"The question is, where did Morelli get the money from?"  
"Yeah and why at that exact moment in time"  
"You think he knows something?"  
"I think he's stupid enough to listen to someone and take advantage of the situation"  
"You still hungry?"  
"Of course, I missed dinner last night"  
I laughed as I pulled out a box that had doughnuts inside and passed them to her, typical that Ella would provide Steph with some of her favorite foods.

"You know this will be my first doughnut in a month"  
"You don't have to eat it"  
"Yeah right, if I'm gonna die I want to die happy"  
I stopped moving holding an apple part way to my mouth and just looked her, she couldn't die, she didn't look or act as if she were ill. She turned at my silence and frowned.

"Ben said I showed the early symptoms"  
"What were they?"  
"I had a fever on the boat and then on the plane and all the bleeding from my period"

"So that's why he seemed so overbearing, he was watching in case you suddenly keeled over"  
As I took a bite of the apple I watched as she put the uneaten doughnut back in it's box and turned to me.

"I'm not hungry for food"  
I could see the look in her eyes as she sidled across to me so threw the apple into the corner and prepared to feed her other appetite.

I woke up after a relaxing sleep not really aware of the time or how long we'd been here for. My watch suggested it had been nearly 36 hours and we'd spent the time making love, eating and sleeping. I looked down at Steph pleased that was still fast asleep and that she didn't feel hot. I ached but I was sure that was from the antics on the mattress not from any illness. I heard someone outside so pulling on my cargos unzipped the tent seeing Bobby stood awkwardly outside, it didn't register that that he wasn't wearing the HAZMAT suit. I gently woke Steph because I knew she would want to hear what Bobby had to say.

"What's wrong?"  
"Bobby's here"  
Her eyes came open immediately and she sat up with the sheet around her.

"No suit?"  
"No Steph"

"Well spill it"  
Bobby knelt down in front of us and for some reason I could tell he had a story to tell.

'I'm sorry it took so long but the blood had to be double tested. Steph we know you were injected with the virus but your body seems to have developed antibodies to fight it. The human body makes use of antibodies to fight disease, they bind to viruses, marking them as invaders so that white blood cells can engulf and destroy them"

"So I can't infect anyone?"

"No, did you have some symptoms early on?"  
"Yeah I did"  
"Well that's when your immune system kicked into action"  
"And Ranger?"  
"Clear, no evidence of any virus"  
"Wow, but I thought it couldn't be cured?"  
"Normally no but it looks like we may have an answer to help research for a cure"  
"They won't want more blood from me will they?"  
"No, they have enough to start looking for answers, it also depends on what the research lab was doing with the virus, they may have mutated it to behave differently"  
"Bobby who is in the know about this?"

"I liaised with someone I know at The Scripps Research Institute, don't worry he's keen to keep this very quiet, in fact he's at Rangeman now"  
I smiled as I looked over at Steph's face she looked so happy and relieved.

"You really are Wonder Woman Babe"


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

SPOV

I felt so relieved with the news that Bobby had told us, I wasn't dying and couldn't infect anyone else either but as we were quietly tidying away all the things that had been brought here I looked down at my ring and had a sudden feeling of panic. Of course Ranger picked up on that.  
"Babe, what's wrong?"

"It's just that, well I know that we thought we were dying and if you were going to"  
"Babe"  
Yeah I know, he thinks by saying my name I will know what he is trying to say to me, but what if he only said those things because he thought we were dying, what if he changed his mind?

"No, I won't change how I feel about you, that ring has been sat in my safe waiting for the right moment, maybe what happened speeded the process up and maybe I would have chosen a more romantic time and place to ask you but I was still intending on asking you"  
"So you meant what you said?"  
"Of course, it was our way of unifying how we felt for each other and that we would be together forever. If you want to get married then I can go with that as long as it's a small and private service"  
"The words you said to me yesterday are all I need"  
"Babe you don't need to ever worry about me leaving you, I know what we have is real and won't be broken"  
"Thank you for being patient with me"  
"Babe I know I've said things in the past to try and push you away but that isn't going to happen"

Once we'd packed everything away I crawled outside into the bright sunlight and for some reason started to think about the whole situation we'd been in, as an arm came behind me I jumped, realizing I was totally lost thinking.  
"I smell burning, what are you thinking?"

"Well whoever has my angel now believes I'm dead or close to it, so is there a way to flush him out?"  
"Santos go bring one of the blankets and some coffee, we need to regroup before we move"  
I watched as Lester came back and settled the blanket on the ground and took out some flasks and mugs and so decided to sit down pulling Ranger down beside me, in fact he sat behind me pulling my back to his front his knees bent on either side of me and his arms around my waist. Tank, Lester and Bobby all sat down as well so we were sat in a circle.

"What's on your mind Ranger"  
"Steph was wondering if we can take advantage of whoever is responsible"  
"You mean let them think you died?"  
"Maybe"  
"It could dangerous, he may go ahead and infect others if he thinks the virus he has works"

"What if we announce we have a cure?"  
"That could get him rattled"  
"Rattled that he might go after Steph?"  
Shit they were right, there was no way we could take an upper hand from this, and if the powers to be were right then there might be the possibility that he would carry out an attack somewhere else.

"How sure are you that this is a national threat to Israel and us?"  
"I don't know Babe, a lot of the Intel that comes through is what is picked up in conversations"  
"So we go back to the beginning"  
"Now we know that what happened to you was all part of the same plan"  
"So it's an individual or small group based here in the States"  
"Yeah Beautiful but it's also someone who knows you personally"  
I hadn't thought about that and it did make sense otherwise he wouldn't have picked me out or known how to get me.

"Could Nicolini be the one responsible and this is just about what happened in that warehouse with his son?"  
"I think that was the catalyst that brought you to his attention"  
"Morelli"  
"What about him Babe?"  
"Well he turned up when I was first staking out the place I thought Gavin was at"  
"What did he say Beautiful?"  
"That he wanted me to move on because there was going to be a raid on the shop"  
And I know at the time I was a bit suspicious because Gavin didn't have a record and there were no other police cars around. Something was dancing at the back of my head but I couldn't get hold of it, I needed to move before I fell asleep so pushed away from Ranger and started to walk around the men as they sat on the ground. Morelli had turned up at that shop, Morelli had talked my mother into sending me after my Grandmother implying she was wanted for murder and then he'd given her $100,000. Then there was the conversation I'd heard when he was outside the cabin, what was it the man had said, "your Grandmother thought she was helping you out" and Morelli had said he'd wished he'd never listened to her. But if he was really intent on marrying me why help to set me up in order for me to die? Or was he set up for some of the actions? Was there someone he knew who didn't want me around, his family was Italian, was he tied into the same family as Nicolini, then there was the man who with him at the cabin, it was almost as if they were related.

"What does Zio mean in Italian?"

"Uncle"

I thought that through in my head and started to picture each member of Morelli's family I had met and then I had a sudden and impulsive thought.

"Holy shit, Bella Donna"  
If the men had been talking they stopped and turned to look at me, surprised at my language but confused at what I'd said.

"Bella, Joe's Grandmother, could she be Annis's cousin?"  
"The daughter you found for the sister?"  
"Yes, and didn't Roda say that a Donna Collins was travelling where my Grandmother was supposed to have gone?"  
"Beautiful you've lost me"  
"The name Donna came up a few times and I remember that flower we saw at the restaurant Ranger"  
"Deadly Nightshade or Bella Donna"  
Tank stood up and taking my hand led me back to sit down again.

"You're making me dizzy. So you think Morelli's Grandmother, Bella is involved with Nicolini?"

"Yes, I think she's his mother's cousin"

"So why are they doing this?"

"I don't know Tank"

"Babe we need to pull all the research together and set it up on the boards that will make it easier to follow and didn't you say that Donna had two brothers?"  
"Yeah, I guess I need to follow up with them as well"  
"So where do you want to go Ranger"  
I looked from Tank to Ranger waiting and even Lester looked to be eager for an answer.

"We could go back to Rangeman or maybe we could go to Casa Azul"

"Azul will be safer and you have all the equipment there"  
I looked at Tank as he made his opinion known, I had no idea where or what that was but to be honest I didn't really want to be in Trenton at the moment, the whole ordeal with Ben had left me feeling a little shell shocked and I know I shivered as I thought how close I had come to suffocating in that car even if Ben had said it was a peaceful way to go.

"Okay we'll go to Azul but just remember that very few people know of its existence and it isn't monitored by Rangeman"  
"Who will go then?"  
Ranger looked down at me and smiled as though he knew a secret that I didn't which was probably right.

"Santos, Bobby and Tank are the only ones who know it exists Babe. Tank I think you'll need to be at Rangeman and probably Bobby as well, we could bring Ram across as he's worked with us on this"

Tank nodded his head, I'm sure he looked a bit disappointed but at the same time he'd know that he would be needed at Rangeman. I didn't know what to do next but as the men started to get up so did I, I had no idea what transport we would use and once again I had no clothes or bag with me. I felt Ranger take my hand and he led me down the track toward the edge of the dunes and then we walked along the edge. I must admit I was starting to feel a bit guilty for stealing Morelli's bike, he'd loved that Ducati, but if he had access to $100,000 then he could afford a new one. I was surprised when we came to Ranger's Bronco parked further along and I wasn't sure if we would be using it or not, to my mind it was probably a car that was too noticeable for us to be using.

"Babe Bobby will take the Bronco and we'll use one of the SUVs"

Behind the Bronco were two black SUVs all parked in line, why was it that they needed so many? I turned as I heard voices coming from behind us and instinctively moved closer to Ranger; hell my nerves were playing havoc with me today.

"You okay?"  
"Sorry, I just feel a bit jumpy"  
"Let's get out of here then"  
He nodded to Lester and we made our way to the last SUV where he helped me into the front seat and once he was in started to reverse the car until there was room for him to turn it and then we were making our way across the sands to the edge of the island and then following the track that joined the main road.

"Babe why did you go to that cabin?"  
"Sorry?"  
"Why the cabin?"  
I so did not want to tell him how I knew about the cabin, it seemed to be a lifetime ago since I'd been there and to be honest I'd hated every minute of it. Morelli had said it belonged in the family and was used in the past for when anyone wanted to do some hunting, but no one used it now so not to even think about someone turning up, we'd have the whole place to ourselves, undisturbed.

"I didn't think anyone would think to look there"  
"How did you know about it?"  
"Oh it was an age ago"  
He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips kissing the palm of my hand before holding my hand under his on his thigh, I know I was quiet but I also knew he would want an explanation.

"Babe?"  
I didn't look at him, I couldn't let him see how affected I was by the memories it brought back.

"After, when you were shot by Scrogg, I fell apart and Morelli didn't know how to handle me. I spent a lot of time at the hospital; I just couldn't leave until you were given the all clear and well that just pissed Morelli off. So he tricked me and when he said he was taking me out for a meal he took me there"  
"To that cabin?"  
"Yeah, there was more furniture inside then and it wasn't as derelict, apparently the place was used by his family for hunting"  
"What reason did he give for taking you there?"  
"He said I needed to be away from Trenton and that we needed to spend some time together"  
Could I tell him that Morelli was so annoyed at me that he felt the only way of redeeming any sense of a relationship was to get me on my own in the middle of nowhere.

"How did that go down?"  
"It didn't, I hated it and hated that he'd tricked me, he even hid the keys for his truck to stop me from leaving"  
"Babe did he hurt you?"  
Did he? Yeah he did, not physically, but I think that was the first time I was actually scared of what he could do, he was angry and I think that was the first time he really acknowledged how I felt about Ranger and it was probably when I acknowledged it as well. We argued a lot and he tried to demand I have sex with him and when I refused he lost it, but to give him his due he didn't make me instead he drove off and left me for two nights and a day. When he came back he was all apologetic and tried to use his charms to get me on board, when that didn't work he made sure we slept in the same bed and early the next morning while I was still half asleep he started touching me and fondling me from behind. With his arms around me and being pinned on my side I knew I couldn't fight him off and was so frightened that he could do it anyway he wanted so relented, but really I suppose that was when I realized that I didn't really love him enough to commit to him and I always made sure whenever we were in bed together he couldn't trap me in that position again. I suppose he won because we seemed to fall back into a pattern again and Ranger had gone down to Miami so it was easy to just go back to how we were.

"Babe?"

"Sorry, just remembering. I think he showed his true colors then, the need to control me and seeing as we were in the middle of nowhere I didn't have much choice"  
I knew I was crying but dam it I couldn't tell Ranger, it made me feel weak that I had given in to him and allowed him to manipulate me. I rubbed my eyes looking out of the window realizing I hadn't a clue where we were or where we were going. We seemed to drive for ages but I knew Ranger wasn't taking any chances of us being followed so just went with it, I hadn't seen the other SUV with Lester in it so assumed he was watching our back. At last we pulled off the road and stopped at a gate, Ranger used his thumb on a box by the side and the gate swung open onto a gravel drive that led in a circle bringing us to another set of gates, this time he used a fob to open them and we drove down into a large garage. Lights came on automatically and I just stared at the space in front of me. There was room for at least eight cars down here with cars already parked in some of the spaces, including a black Mercedes that I swore I recognized. I sat looking around at the other cars, a dark blue Porsche another black Cayenne and lastly a dark grey mustang that looked in prime condition for its age. I jumped when Ranger opened my door not aware that he had got out and took his hand to get out. He led me to a door that required a fob for it to open and we walked into an area that had a staircase and another door leading from it.

"That's the gym, so we need to go upstairs"  
Again I just followed amazed at the layout of the area we came into. A large open space had a kitchen, dining area and lounge but what drew my attention was the wall of glass that looked out onto a glass roofed area that had a swimming pool surrounded by decking. The feel of the place was light and airy with wooden floors and pale cream walls. The furniture whilst none of it seemed to match suited the surroundings and gave me the impression that each piece had been specially selected. A pull on my hand led me to an open staircase against one wall and led onto a hallway that had three doors leading from it. The door at the end was open and this was the one Ranger led me into. I assumed it was the master bedroom with the bed against the wall with a deep blue cover and matching cushions. The floor was wooden again and I noticed the use of rugs similar to the ones downstairs but again it was the wall of glass and the small balcony outside that beckoned to me. I turned noticing the ceiling went up to the roof with wooden beams running the entire length of the room.

"It's beautiful"  
"That door leads to the bathroom and that one there is the closet. You can open the glass doors using the switch at the side"

"Ranger whose house is this?"  
"Mine, I come here when I need to be on my own especially after a mission and I need to decompress before going back to work"  
"You put everything together here didn't you?"  
"Yes, how did you know?"  
"It has a feel to it, that every item was chosen"  
"When I bought the place it had the basic structure but I've slowly decorated and furnished it to how I want it to be"  
"I love the furniture"  
"Some of it is from overseas and I bought things I liked. Come on let's check out what food we have"  
"How is there food here?"  
"Ella and Luis know about the house and she makes sure it's stocked up and clean, though she never comes here when I'm here"  
I followed him back downstairs curious about the other rooms here but he moved so quickly I didn't have a chance to nosey. Once downstairs Ranger opened the fridge and cupboards checking out contents, there seemed to be plenty of food in them and certainly there were enough appliances to make almost anything.

"I sent a message as we left the island so Ella has left enough for us but I tend to cook my own meals here"  
He took two bottles of water from the fridge and again taking my hand led me over to a dark brown leather couch. It faced a fire place that looked to have a wood burning stove in it, to the side was a large TV and entertainment center. A small wooden coffee table was positioned over a large colorful rug and there was a smaller couch and two chairs to complete the ensemble. Once we were seated he pulled me to him with his arm around my shoulder, I lent against him pulling my feet to my side on the couch.

"So you were telling me about your experience with Morelli at that cabin"  
Oh shit, I thought he'd forgotten about that, I mean how did I tell him without sounding so stupid?

"Well we argued a lot and he err, tried to demand I have sex with him and when I wouldn't he got mad at me, then he drove off leaving me on my own for two nights and a day. When he came back he was all apologetic and tried to use his charms to get me on board, when that didn't work he made sure we were in the same bed together and early the next morning while I was still half asleep he started touching and fondling me from behind. His arms were round me so I knew I couldn't fight him off and was so frightened so I relented, but really I suppose that was when I realized that I didn't really love him enough to commit to him. I suppose he won because we seemed to fall back into a pattern again and you'd gone down to Miami so we just ended up back together again"

"Babe did he force to have sex?"  
"I don't know, I mean he was holding me, and once he started touching me I suppose I just gave in"

"I'm so sorry Babe"  
"It's not your fault, it was me, I was a mess and after everything that happened with Scrogg I just needed to, I don't know, get my head around it"  
"I should have been there for you"

"No, you'd been shot and Julie needed you"  
He turned me to him and rested his forehead against mine holding my face in his hands.

"You needed someone to support you and help you deal with the all of the shit that happened. I thought Morelli could, would be the one to do that, that's why I left town"  
"Well I suppose I managed, I got on with my life afterwards"  
"Babe promise me whenever you feel upset or down, frightened or anxious that you'll talk to me. I will always be here for you"  
What could I say to that? I'd spent most of my life fighting my own demons without help, the anxiety and the nightmares eventually went away, though they still came back occasionally to haunt me. Maybe with Ranger by my side I could find a way for him to calm me, he had always been the only one who could.

"I'll try, but I've spent my entire life fending for myself"  
"No more okay?"  
I was pleased at the sound of a door opening as it ended a conversation I was uncomfortable with and even though a gun magically appeared in Ranger's hand I think we both knew it was Lester. He came into the kitchen area with Ram both of them carrying bags.

"Beautiful you okay?"  
I wiped my face as I stood up and walked over to him.

"Yeah, just a bit overwhelmed at everything that's been happening"  
"You gonna help me get something for dinner?"  
"Lester this is a beautiful house I don't want it to burn down"  
"Nah, you do the salad and Ranger and I will grill some steak"

What did I know about salad? I think Ranger saw my dilemma because he sent Lester and Ram out to the grill and started to bring things from the fridge. I did as he asked putting the salad together whilst he brought out ingredients for dressings and then we carried out the crockery and cutlery out to a table outside. The meal was tasty but simple and I didn't realize how hungry I was until the plate in front of me was clean. Once we'd tidied away our plates we sat in the lounge talking and chatting with me curled up against Ranger, I suppose it was inevitable that I fell asleep.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

RPOV

I was worried about Steph, her sleep was disturbed with dreams and each time I would pull her to me to calm her. I never realized that for everything she had gone through, from explosions, kidnapping and nearly being killed that no one had ever supported her through the after effects. That she seemed to bounce back was a true testament to how strong she was but I also knew how her land of denial could play a part. I knew too well how those experiences could haunt you and I didn't want that for her, somehow I needed to be sure that she got the support that she needed even if she felt she didn't want it. A look at the clock showed it to be 0600hrs so I carefully slid from the bed and placed my pillow in her arms, I bent down by the bed with my arms on the cover and just watched her, she had the pillow against her and had her face laid on it, her hair framing her face. She seemed calm as she slept deeply and I was almost tempted to get back into bed with her, but shook my head and turned to head down to the gym. I changed from my silk boxers into gym attire down in the changing area by the gym and then started on my workout routine. I was aware of Santos coming in and going to the treadmill but was surprised when he indicated for us to spar on the mats, not that I minded because I knew I could outfight him anytime. After thirty minutes we both knew we'd had enough as we lay on our backs looking up at the ceiling.

"I nearly beat you"  
"Nearly, you're still too slow though"  
"Yeah well one day Ranger"

"In your dreams Santos"  
"How's Beautiful doing?"  
"Managing but she still tries to close off everything she goes through"  
"Hell Ranger I know trained soldiers that would crack with what she's been through"  
"I know and she knows now that I'm there for her and maybe I can get her to accept some other help, she's carrying a lot of baggage around"  
I sat up deciding that I had to get back upstairs before Steph woke up and possibly panicked if I wasn't there so headed to the changing area to shower and change. I had clothes down here so was soon dressed in jeans and a T-shirt heading upstairs. I came to a halt as I entered the kitchen hearing Steph laughing, I watched from the doorway as Ram tried to show her how to use the coffee machine.

"It's easy Steph not a lot different to the one in your apartment"  
"Yeah right, look at all the different programs it has"  
"You're good with computers so this is a piece of cake"  
I saw he had the pan on the stove and was making scrambled egg and watched as he handed the spoon to Steph to keep stirring while he put bread into the toaster. I also saw the moment she knew I was there, her hand went to the back of her neck and she turned to me, smiling. I walked behind her and put my arms round her waist.

"Looking good Babe"

And she did, her hair was in soft curls round her face and the skirt and sweater she was wearing made her look feminine, accentuating the curves of her body and her long legs.  
"No, this is all Rams doing"

"Steph you beat the eggs and poured the mixture in the pan, all I've done is light the stove and started it off, you've done great"

That was exactly what she needed and I could feel her stand a little taller.

"How do I know when they're cooked?"  
I held her hand with the spoon and moved it around.

"I'd say they're cooked to perfection. You take the pan to the table and I'll get some plates"

We sat and ate the breakfast Ram and Steph produced and I said that Santos and I would clear away. I watched Steph as she stood looking out of the window; she had a melancholy look to her this morning.

"You working up in the office Ranger?"  
"Yeah, did you get the print outs?"  
"Yes, ready to put up"

"You heading back to Rangeman?"

"Yeah I'll be back later, Ram's gonna cover the monitors for here from the room downstairs"  
"Babe you okay to work on those searches?"  
She turned and nodded her head and followed me up the stairs into the room that faced the front of the house. It was a large room that I'd set up so that it had the best equipment possible from computers to furnishings and the programs to go with them.

"Babe who do you want to follow up with?"  
"I think that Bella is Annis's cousin, I'll see if I can confirm that, but I don't think I need to"  
"So what are thinking?"  
"Bella hates me, always has, she doesn't think I'm good enough for Morelli"

"So how does that figure into what you're thinking?"  
"I think Bella worked with Nicolini to get me out of the way from Morelli and it served Nicolini's purpose of getting back at me for his son dying. She provided the money talking Morelli into thinking it was a payment to my mother. I think she started the rumor of my Grandmother shooting that man and then suggested to Morelli that I could go find her. He talked my mother into it and then Annis and Bella led me through Europe to Nicolini. I'm really not sure any more if Nicolini has anything to do with that missing virus"

"So you think the Morelli family played an elaborate part in victimizing you?"  
"Yeah, I mean Annis and Bella would be seen as the matriarchs of the family, people would listen to them"  
"So if we are separating the family out from this it still leaves you involved with the virus"  
"I know, I just can't remember when I first noticed that mark on my arm"  
"The mark?"  
"Yeah, Ben said it was from some type of fancy injection devise that Christian had provided"

"You know that could point to one of Mo's team?"  
"I know, which doesn't make sense and I never felt ill at ease with any of them, except for Ben"  
"So we have the woman to find who wanted you out of the building and who ever Ben met up with and stole the necklace"

"Who was the man you were with at Rangeman?"

"David Miller, he's my handler, and I must admit I was confused when he turned up at Rangeman when he did"  
"Could he have been there to keep you occupied while that woman went in?"  
"He could have been, but then they would have had to have known you weren't in the building"

I saw her face pale and was immediately concerned that she was suddenly feeling ill.

"Babe?"  
"Trackers, was there a tracker on my car, please say there isn't a tracker in me"  
I immediately went to a cabinet by the wall and pulled out a scanner, making sure it was operating properly I moved it over every part of her body, I felt so relieved when it didn't detect anything then quietly laughed to myself as something occurred to me.

"What's funny?"  
"I just realized how the core team found me when I was with you"  
"You told me you had an implanted tracker"  
"Yeah, shit I need to ask Hector how to switch the dam thing off"  
"Could other people locate it, you know pick up it's signal?"  
"Only if they know the exact code, the frequency output and the modulation password"

"Okay, so no"

"I'll get someone to check over your car, I know Al had it in the garage that morning to check it over"

I kept watching her as she stood by the large table going through the paperwork we had accumulated wondering what she thought she was looking for and noticed most of the papers she was looking at were from her first days with Mo.

"You're starting back at the beginning aren't you?"  
"Yeah, I hate doing this, but someone's been lying to us and that bleeds over everyone and I hate that"

"What are you thinking?"  
"I asked them to find some answers for me, which is how Mo ended up meeting with you"

"I remember"

"Mo was to find out about the brother in prison, Ben was going to try and locate the taxi driver in Athens"  
"Which he said he couldn't do"

"Elon to find out where the money came from in my bank account and Roda to look at the women leading me around Europe"  
"Yeah, she identified Donna Collins. What else was there Babe?"

"I asked Nadav to see if he could identify Carl Johnson and he said he didn't exist"

"Who was Carl Johnson?"  
"He picked me up at Heathrow airport and helped me out"

I raised an eyebrow at how she described their meeting and watched as she blushed, there was something so sexy about how that changed her demeanor.

"I'm gonna see if I can find him"  
"You think Nadav lied to you?"  
"I have no idea"

"I'm gonna see what I can find out about David Miller"  
We each took a computer and got down to working, I sent a secure message to Santos to check Steph's car over, telling him to let me know what he found. Then put a call through to Colonel Kempster.

"Kempster"  
"This a secure line?"  
"Going over to encrypted mode"  
I heard a slight change in the tone and assumed he'd done as he said, the phone I always used here were already set up with encryption as part of the security I insisted on.

"Talk Manoso, you obviously have something"  
"Not yet, I want to dig into Miller"  
"Why the hell would you want to do that?"  
"He turned up unexpectedly in Trenton at the same time as something serious was going down"  
"You think he was part of it?"  
"No idea"  
"What happened?"

"A development that inadvertently came from it"  
"You bastard, Manoso, you're not going to say?"  
"No, so are you going to give me access into the personnel files so I can perform an in depth search on him?"

"Yes, if he's clean no harm done"  
"Thank you"  
"How's that woman of yours doing?"  
I didn't respond but looked over at Steph as she was working.

"Okay I'll send over the access codes that you'll need but Manoso when this is finished I want a verbal report of everything not in your written report"  
I shut the phone down and as I waited for him to send me the access codes went down to the kitchen and fetched two bottles of water up, setting one down next to Steph I was pleased the codes had come through so now to find out who David Miller really was. I was engrossed in reading through the history of the man who was for all intents and purposes my superior officer, I didn't feel any guilt for delving into his history, hell he'd probably delved into mine. His rank was Lieutenant Colonel, only recently appointed and no matter how hard I looked I couldn't work out how he made that rank, so as Steph would say, go back to the beginning, so that's where I was. The information I had dealt with his career in the army, as a graduate he'd enrolled in the ROTC program in elective leadership and military courses receiving a generous stipend and money toward books, tuition and more. At graduation, he was commissioned as U.S. Army Officer at the rank of Second Lieutenant. He'd worked his way up the ranks but mainly as a manager planning missions, giving orders, and assigning Soldiers to tasks, but he'd never actually been at the front of where the action was, never actually left American soil. The reports as they were gave a positive feedback on the success of the missions and he had taken all the credit for it, it really made me wonder just how effective he was as an active soldier. I was brought out of my musings by Steph pacing the floor while she read through some papers so watched her and the change in the expressions on her face. She suddenly sat down and picked up another paper and then was typing information into the computer. She was on a trail and was so engrossed in what she was doing she wasn't aware of me watching her. A message on my phone distracted me and I picked it up to view a message from Santos "Tracker found on Steph's car, not one of ours" Shit now we had to find out who had placed it there, it wouldn't have been there when Al was working on it and no one went near her car when it was parked outside her parents so that left the five hours it was sat parked outside of her apartment. I wasn't aware that Steph had come up behind me until I felt her hands massaging my shoulders I lent back so her hands moved to the top and I'm sure I quietly moaned as intense pleasure moved down through my body, when she leaned in and blew on my ear I was ready to turn around and just take her on the desk, an interesting thought.

"Babe you are really playing with fire you know"  
"I know, but maybe I want to get burnt""

Work could wait, so I gently pulled her around and as I pushed my chair out and pulled one leg over my knee so she was straddling it. It seemed the move made her forget all about what she wanted to tell me as her mouth came down hard on mine, she seemed to want to take control and who was I to deny her. I felt her hands moving down my chest and instantly my erection was anticipating the coming pleasure, I felt my jeans being undone and knew I was free for her to do as she pleased. What I didn't expect was the feel of her soft skin rubbing against me, her skirt had ridden up her thighs with only a thin piece of fabric separating us. I reached down and pushed it to one side and that's when she slowly lowered herself onto me, hell she was so wet and so ready that I moaned as I sunk into her. She dictated the movement, I didn't really have a choice but helped to raise her from me and lower her to really take advantage of the position. Each move was exquisite, the feel of her and the sounds she made sending heat through me. Then I slowly stood up and lowered her back onto the desk, her legs wrapping around me and her hips tilting up, the new position tipped her over the edge and with the feel of her muscles clamping around me a final thrust had me following her over the edge. As her muscles calmed and she opened her eyes I had to smile, hell I wasn't sure who got burnt in that.

"Babe you can play with fire any time you want"  
I carefully lifted her up and set her on her feet watching as she adjusted her skirt and then came to me and fastened up my jeans.

"Babe if someone walks in now they'll know what we were doing"  
"How"  
"Because your eyes are deep blue, your skin is glowing and your hair is messed up"  
"Okay, I'm gonna clean up and you are going to stay here"  
She ran from me before I could get a hold of her and watched as she disappeared from the room and heard the bedroom door close. No sooner had I sat down than the alert told me someone was coming in through the gates, Santos, thank god Steph had gone to get cleaned up because she would have been mortified for Santos to see her. I swept my hair back into a tie and checked myself over just as Santos entered the room.

"How's it going?"  
"I'm trying to do a check on Miller"  
"I've worked with him before"  
"And?"  
"He's a career man, didn't join the army for a cause or to impress, he uses information and gets real edgy if he thinks he's missing something"  
"So you couldn't see him involved in something like this?"  
"No, I mean not from what I know of him, he doesn't push politics or idealism, he's very black and white"  
"So why do you think he turned up at Rangeman?"  
"I'd say he thought he was being kept in the dark, or being pushed out and he wouldn't like that because he sees it as his job to manage you and the Intel you collect, then to process that Intel and form a plan of action, he's a manager not a doer"

And that was exactly what I'd picked up from spending most of my day reviewing his file. Well as I would say to anyone else he was one less person to worry about. I noticed Steph come back in, she'd changed into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, she'd calmed her hair but her eyes were bright.

"You on to something Beautiful, your eyes have that sparkle in them?"  
At that moment the computer she'd been working on gave a sound that the search she'd been working on had finished so instead of answering she turned and started to read the results. Probably a good thing because I could see her face become redder as she probably remembered exactly what she'd been on before Santos arrived. I saw her shoulders slump and resigned myself to the fact that she'd drawn a blank but then as she picked up all the papers I realized that maybe what she'd discovered didn't sit well with her.

"Babe?"  
"I found that man who I met at the airport when I landed in London"

"Wow, Beautiful you're good, I know Nadav didn't get anywhere with that"

"Yeah well, his name's actually Connor Laycom. He flew into Heathrow from Athens, his flight left after mine and then he spent the night at the airport motel"  
"So he knew what time you'd arrive"  
"Yeah, but this search I've just done, it says he came into Athens the day before and he came in from Haifa International Airport, Israel"

"Beautiful I don't understand, are you saying he's Israeli?"  
"No, American, he spent two days in Israel, having travelled from Washington"

"Babe that means he knows Nicolini"

"Yeah, I know, I was trying to work out what I was doing on the days after his brother got arrested"  
"And?"

"It was the third day after the incident at the warehouse when my mother called"

"Okay Beautiful let me get this straight in my head. This Laycom guy was in Israel when the arrests happened and then flew to Athens, then a day later he meets up with you in London"

"Babe what does a search give us on him?"

"Well it's strange because Laycom is actually his mother's maiden name even though she got married just after he was born. There's no record of a father on his birth certificate, he had a normal childhood and then after college signed up"  
"The army?"  
"Yeah, lasted seven years then has spent the last five years listed as an entrepreneur, though his mother died just before he left the army so maybe that had something to do with it"

The information Steph had found concerned me, shit I really thought that the whole episode with Nicolini was a separate issue to the problem we had with the virus, but now we had a man that tied the two things together.

"Santos why are you here?"  
"Two reasons. First, Hector's been in touch, Mo and his team will be arriving this evening so I wasn't sure where you wanted them to be"

"The second reason?"  
"That other man I saw Ben with came up with a match, he's a family lawyer acting on behalf of his stepmother. I spoke with him and he confirmed the meeting, something about a reconciliation with the family but Ben was adamant that he didn't want it to happen, too many years had past"

I looked at my Babe as I thought through what the best solution would be with the Israelis and I knew that the decision wasn't mine to make on my own.

"Babe, what are your thoughts about the Israelis?"  
"If Ben knew I'd been infected when we were on the boat he wouldn't have volunteered to come with us. Mo and Roda are too much in love to jeopardize what they have, Nadav and Elon, I don't know but Nadav was with me the most at the start when I wasn't well and he also voiced that he thought it was a good idea for me to stay with you. But for all I know it could have happened when Nicolini moved me on the boat, after that I was always too frightened to sleep"  
"So you're leaning toward Nadav?"  
"Yeah"  
"I told Mo you'd been infected so I'm sure the others will know as well, what no one knows other than the core group is that you've developed an immunity to it"  
"Could we somehow bait Nadav?"

"Yes, I think we could, but I'll need to be at Rangeman to meet them and you can't be anywhere near"  
I saw her face fall as I said that, but there was no other way around it, I'd need someone she trusted to stay with her, someone who could help in the deception.

"Babe I have an idea of how this could work"


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

SPOV

I knew Ranger would have to leave and once he'd gone through his idea I was keen to work with it in order to establish who had actually injected me with the virus. I knew my being on board helped him to leave me even though he didn't want to. We were in a small house just outside of Trenton, neither Ranger nor I wanted the security of his house compromised so Lester had found this place to rent for a week. I had Bobby and Ella with me now, I mean which better people could he have chosen? Bobby was always so calm and understanding and Ella, well she was like a mother to me, probably better than the one I already had. She showed her love to me by through her actions, she didn't always agree with me but instead of trying to tell me I was wrong she'd use subtle actions, like changing small things in my diet or discussing how I might wear something. Even giving me alternative choices to what I might be thinking. It was Ella who saw the details and she immediately saw the ring on my finger, none of the men had and they thought they were so aware of their surroundings.

"He asked didn't he?"  
"Sorry Ella?"  
"Ranger, he actually got around to proposing didn't he?"  
She lifted my hand to take a better look at my ring, smiling as she twisted my hand first one way then another.

"It's beautiful, and it is so you, a blue diamond set in platinum surrounded by white and black diamonds. Oh he is such a romantic, the blue of your eyes, the white as he sees you and the black for himself and it's perfect for your job, with the stones set deep in the settings so they won't get caught or damaged"  
"It is perfect isn't it"  
"When's he had time for that happen?"  
"Well let's just say the circumstances were a bit unusual but it was the perfect place for us"

"Well then you need to fill me in as to why I had to be here, Ranger didn't say much and those people were arriving so I had to prepare some of the apartments for them to stay in"

"Ella, I could have been really ill, but somehow my immune system kicked in and saved the day"  
"Are you all right now?"  
"Yes, I'm fine Ella, nothing to worry about"  
"Go on then"  
"Well we need to establish who it was that got me so ill, so we need them to think that I am ill"  
"Sounds complicated to me"

I didn't know how else to explain it to Ella without her getting worried so hoped as we went along with the plan she'd work it out.

"I need for you act as though you are my nurse, but you'll need to wear some pretty serious costume"  
"Stephanie, let's just do it and I'm sure I'll get the drift"  
I watched as Bobby came into the kitchen carrying yet another box to go upstairs.

"You ready Bomber?"  
"Yes, let's get organized"  
I led Ella upstairs into one of the bedrooms next to the master bedroom, no way did I want this to happen in there. As I opened the door I was glad with my decision because the room now looked like something from a movie. A single bed was positioned in the middle of the floor with a plastic tent like structure over the top of it, there were places in the plastic that looked like long arms and hands and then a stack of machines with wires leading onto the bed. I turned to Ella seeing her staring at the bed and then she slowly turned to me, her face having gone quite white.

"Ella, are you okay?"  
"Dear god, how ill could you have been?"  
"Very Ella, Bomber was real lucky, the illness would have killed her and possibly infected a lot of other people"  
"What do I need to do"  
"I need for you to make Steph look like this"

Bobby produced a picture from one of the boxes and held it out for Ella to take.

"That's why I needed the theatrical make up isn't it, hell it has the look of a zombie"  
I laughed at the description she gave but then a shiver went through me as I realized exactly what could have happened to me and probably Ranger, and let's not forget all the innocent people I might have infected if Ben hadn't gotten to me.

It took Ella hours to perfect the look, not only was my face made up but she'd also added effects to most of my skin. The only really sad part for me was when she suggested I remove my ring, but seeing her place it on her small finger gave me comfort knowing that it wasn't far away. The symptoms from the virus would have caused bruises to form from internal bleeding so as she helped me into a white gown, that had splashes of blood on it, I really did feel totally made over and was amazed at how good she'd made me look. I positioned myself on the bed, slightly propped up on the pillows and then watched as Ella and Bobby put on white all in one paper like suits, a hat over their hair, mask across their mouths and finally plastic gloves over their hands, oh and let's not forget the little paper bootees over their shoes. I watched as Bobby showed Ella how to reach me and touch me through the plastic hands and then felt wires being attached to my chest along with a pretend catheter into my wrist. The sound of the machines beeping made me jump and Ella to hold onto my hand.

"They're five minutes out Bomber"

Bobby made some last minute adjustments to the machines and I went through in my head how we'd agreed for me to act. Eventually I heard the sound of voices coming from the hall outside, Ella had a hold of my hand as we listened to what was being said.

"She's deteriorated slowly over the past day, but Bobby is giving her medication to keep any pain at a minimum"  
"Ranger you should have moved her to a proper facility, one that has all of the correct procedures in place"  
"No Mo she was hiding here when we found her, so there's no way that the virus could have spread, moving her would have been too risky"

"How long does she have?"  
"I'm not sure Nadav, there aren't really any previous records of what happens when someone becomes infected, especially since we don't know what mutations were developed"

"So she could be okay?"  
"I'm sorry, but with the damage already occurring in her organs I wouldn't be too optimistic"  
"Sorry, but who are you?"  
"Doctor for Rangeman"

"How long in your professional opinion?"  
"Well she's coping at the moment, when she's awake she's still responsive and apart from the symptoms you see she is fully aware of what is happening to her, so I'd say maybe a day or two at the most before she falls into a coma"  
I slowly moved my hand in Ella's and started to flutter my eyes, a sot moan coming from my lips. Seeing wasn't that easy because Bobby had put some drops in that made my eyes look red but also made my vision blurry.

"Ella"  
"I'm here sweetheart, Ranger's here as well along with some friends you know"  
"Ranger"  
I felt his hand through the glove holding tightly onto mine feeling his squeeze as he started to talk.

"Babe I'm here, Mo, Elon and Nadav came to see you"  
"They did?"  
"Don't try to move Babe"  
"Steph I'm so sorry, I had no idea"  
"Just get him Mo"  
"We will Steph"  
"Where's Roda?"

"She didn't feel that she should come, we just found out, she's pregnant Steph"

"I'm so pleased to hear that Mo"  
I actually felt a tear come to my eye and squeezed Rangers hand, I felt so happy for them and yet so sad that I was laid here deceiving him.

"Bomber you're tired honey"  
I slowly nodded my head as I closed my eyes. I knew Bobby would play around with the tubes coming to my hand.

"Ranger are you here tonight"  
"I don't know if I can Brown, I don't know if I can watch while she slowly fades away. Can't you do something to take away her pain, give her some dignity"  
"I can't do that Ranger, it goes against everything I believe in"

"Look I can stay with her tonight and give you guys a break, I'm sure by morning you'll feel differently Ranger"

"Are you a medic Nadav?"  
"Yes"  
"Ranger?"  
"Okay, I know I need to regroup myself and I know I'm not thinking of her, so yes Nadav if you're sure?"

"I'm sure"

I felt as Ranger let go of my hand feeling the loss of his touch immediately and started to think how lonely it would be to really be dying and to have no one near to you, no one to hold you, alone with your own thoughts and fears. I heard the door open and footsteps leaving the room but Ella had tight hold of my hand letting me know there was still someone in the room.

"If I arrive here for 1800hrs is that okay with you?"  
"Yes that'll be fine"  
"Do you keep her sedated?"  
"I give a small amount so she spends most of her time sleeping, when I know Ranger is coming then I stop the flow, it usually takes about 45 minutes before she wakes up, but there won't be any visitors tonight"  
"The nurse?"  
"She leaves at 1700hrs, she's mainly here to help bathe her and keep her clean"  
"Okay then I'll see you later"  
There were footsteps and the door opening and closing again and a few minutes later when I assume Ella was sure they had all left she let go of my hand.

"I don't know how to read them Stephanie"  
"Why not Ella?"  
"Well they all looked so shocked at seeing you, I mean each one of them sure was frightened but considering what they think is wrong with you I'm not surprised"  
"Can I move Ella?"  
"Of course you can dear, just let me move some of these tubes and wires out of the way"  
I felt Ella helping me to sit up and then opened my eyes fully, hell I still couldn't see properly, no way could I cope with that.

"Bobby you have to come up with a better way to camouflage my eyes, I can't see properly, everything is blurry"  
"It'll wear off quickly, maybe contacts might be better"  
"I told you that to start with"  
"I know Ella, but the drops are more realistic"

"Come on Stephanie let's go through to the lounge and we'll have something to eat before Ranger calls with the plans for tonight"  
I could go with that, as long as I could see what I was eating. Ella took it took heart that I needed some happy food and she'd made her recipe of meatball subs, they were I have to say better than Pinos, they had added spice and a cheese that you could actually taste, her one omission was the use of garlic, saying it would be too strange for someone who was as ill as I was supposed to be smelling like garlic. Bobby insisted on clearing away the dishes as Ella touched up my makeup, though I have to say it seemed as good as when it went on, so much so I was worried about getting it off.

"How's your neck?"  
"Not as sore now"  
"I'm sure it's for the best, you know a lot of the men have them"  
I just nodded my head as I thought how Bobby had totally waylaid me this morning, saying he needed to do something to my neck. I'd jumped when I felt a small prick in the skin and turned to him ready to go at him.

"What the hell was that?"

"Bomber you agreed to this"  
"Since when would I agree to you stabbing me?"  
"But Ranger said you were all for it"  
"What?"

I'm sure I was shouting at him because he took a step back from me and held his hands up as if to ward me off him.

"Bomber, you agreed to have an implant so Ranger wouldn't worry if you disappeared again"  
"Oh. So it goes in my neck?"  
"Yes"

The initial prick that I felt made my skin go numb so I reluctantly allowed him to use what looked like a really thick hypodermic needle to push a really small capsule under my skin. I still wasn't sure about it, I mean did that mean someone would be watching wherever I went? For now though with what was happening tonight I knew it was the only way to be sure that Ranger knew where I was and I was more than happy with that.

I knew that Ranger wouldn't be able to talk to us for long and I also knew I couldn't say what I wanted to say to him or hear what I wanted to hear him say to me, not when we had people sitting with us. Bobby and Ella were with me, but I could see Lester, Ram, Tank and Hector in the office upstairs in Ranger's apartment. Hell I hadn't been back there since I met that woman coming out and how I desperately wanted to be there now. As the time moved toward 6pm, yeah Bobby converted the time for me, I used some contact lenses Ella had bought and was back inside the tent again. I wasn't sure how I felt as I tried to mentally prepare myself. I didn't know what Nadav might do and in some ways that was really scary. Bobby didn't want to sedate me, saying I needed to be aware of what was happening and be able to move out of a situation should I feel compromised, but I felt anxious as to what might happen yet eager to get this over with.

"Bomber I'm gonna have to insert an IV into your arm, Nadav will want to remove it and he would see straight away if it wasn't inserted properly"  
Oh shit.

"What if he gives me more of some of those liquids?"  
"Every vial has saline solution in it, so if he thinks he can up the sedative all he'll do is give you more saline solution"

"And that's not bad for me?"  
"No, won't do anything at all"  
I hated having to have a cannula fitted, it hurt, I felt like something was invading my body. Ella held my hand and I squeezed my eyes shut until I felt Bobby move away and then put a plaster over the end.

"Well done Bomber, all done"

I had to say I was feeling really nervous about this, probably because I had to act as if I were unconscious, now while I could do that for a short period of time I wasn't sure about this time, I mean I would have to be still for 45 minutes and what if he did something to me? I didn't voice those thoughts to anyone because I didn't want to put that idea into Ranger's head, as it was he wasn't happy to have me do this but if he thought I might get hurt he'd call it off. I wanted Nadav too much for that to happen and maybe if we were really lucky we might get who ever he was working with. I lay motionless on the bed when I heard a sound outside and cringed inwardly as I heard someone come into the room.

"Bobby how is she?"

"Elon, I thought Nadav was supposed to be coming?"

"He got really upset when we got back, he'd spent a lot of time looking after Steph on the boat so I talked him into letting me come instead"

"Do you know how to manage the equipment"  
"Yeah, I've had to help Nadav before now when we had more than one patient"  
"Well she's sleeping now, she's holding her own for the moment, she shouldn't wake up"  
"Good, what time do you want me until?"

"I'll be back by 2200hrs, I usually check her then and then get some sleep ready for the nurse coming at 0500hrs"  
"I'll look after her"  
"You shouldn't need to alter any of the medication, it's set up so she'll sleep"  
"Good, I'll be here anyway"

I was shocked to say the least that it was Elon that had turned up, I mean I knew I hadn't really had much to do with him on the boat but that he was here really confused me, how could I have been so wrong? I heard Bobby walk away and through the door then footsteps moving out of the room, Elon was probably making sure he'd left, well I hope that was why, I didn't like the idea of some one else coming in here. I heard Elon come back in and then heard a lot of rustling sounds coming from the other side of the room, So sue me I opened one eye in a slit and peeked to see him dressed as Bobby had been this morning but I'm sure the material was thicker and did he have a full gas mask on with a cylinder on his back. I closed my eyes and then remembered how Bobby had been dressed when he first found me, he'd called it a Hazmat suit. I felt Elon at the side of the bed and as Bobby had predicted I felt an increase of liquid move into my arm, he was turning up what he thought was the sedative. I heard the plastic of the tent moving and had I not prepared myself for his touch as he removed the patches attached to the wires I would have jumped. Then he was raising me in the bed against him and I felt something being pulled over my head. I was finding this really hard to cope with, to allow my body to be so limp while being touched was really hard. Maybe Bobby should have just knocked me out. The needle was removed from my arm and my arm pushed through a sleeve, then I felt the covers being pulled back. All I can say is thank god I let Ella talk me into wearing pajamas that covered me up. It felt like he was pulling trousers over my feet and up to my knees and then shoes were put on my feet. Again I was pulled up toward what I thought was his chest and was being lifted to be propped up against him while the trousers were pulled up to my waist.

"I'm so sorry Steph, I really don't want to hurt you but I have to do this, I don't have a choice, please forgive me"

That was an interesting statement for him to make, if I could work out what the hell he meant. Then I was placed on the floor and rolled so that I was being wrapped around with something, from above my head to below my toes. Shit I was wrapped like a mummy and couldn't have moved even if I'd wanted to, I felt my heart rate rise and my breathing increase, I had to calm down, I couldn't let this mess up with Ranger's plans, think of Ranger, think that it's him you're wrapped up in. I felt myself being carried then but hearing anything was difficult but the feel of a solid surface and the loud bang of a door made me think I was inside a vehicle. Several minutes later and the engine came on and I felt sure we were moving. I knew I'd maybe heard the car door close but I couldn't work out if Elon was driving or there was someone else in the car. I think I must have lost some time while in the car, was I sleeping, no way would I let myself sleep, so maybe I passed out, or maybe I just let my mind go blank, but I had no idea of how much time I'd been here for. The car had stopped and I could feel myself being lifted again, the feel of moving down some steps and into somewhere that seemed to echo, but now with the silence and acoustics of the room I was aware that there was someone else there. As I listened to his voice ice crept through my veins, I was suddenly shaking, a panic building up inside of me, was he here to finish what he'd started, to continue to terrorize me, or was his enjoyment in seeing me hurt and in pain.

"I'll leave you to finish here, your car's outside but you need to be sure she gets into the main area, he'll want proof"  
I was suddenly tumbling and rolling and as I felt the cool air on my face realized he'd probably unrolled me from whatever the material was,

"Don't worry, she'll wake up quickly when I give her something, it will make her think she's dreaming and have enough energy to do what we need"

I felt a needle go into my wrist where the cannula had been and a warm burning sensation move up my arm, oh god what the hell had he injected me with? I had to keep still, I couldn't let him see me react, but I wasn't sure how long I should stay pretending to be asleep.

"Ley's get out of here, she'll wake up soon, I'll send the photos but then that's it, I want nothing more to do with this"

"Not up to me is it?"

I heard footsteps and a loud thud as a door closed then a key turning in a lock, shit had they locked me in here? I opened my eyes and looked around, well at least they'd left a light on for me, but wow it was a beautiful color and the walls looked like a rainbow, and there was music that was in my head, I needed to find out where all the fun was so I could go and join in.

Chapter

RPOV

When we'd returned to Rangeman I was too annoyed to be civil with Mo or any of his team, that there was someone here in Rangeman that had purposely hurt my Babe was tearing me apart. I feigned that I was upset and couldn't deal with meeting with them, that I would meet with them in the morning. Santos knew exactly how I was feeling because I could see in his eyes that he felt the same as I did. He did though offer to take them all to a local bar later that evening because we knew we needed to keep an eye on them. As I spoke to Steph I wanted to say so much more to her, how much I missed her, but most of all how worried I was, there were so many things that could go wrong with this evening. I just hoped that whatever Nadav had planned would be simple and over with quickly. That she was prepared to go through with this made me feel humbled and so very proud of her and I would make sue that nothing could happen to her. But knew I couldn't show any doubt or fear to her, I had to be strong and positive but somehow I think she was feeling the same way as me. At 17.30 Hector and I were sat at the back of the rental house keeping watch, Ram and Tank were at the front and Cal and Miguel were further along the road. Hector had the cameras on view on his laptop watching from a hidden camera in the light arrangement above the bed where Steph was laid.

"We've got a van approaching"

"Can you see how many people Tank?"

"No driver just got out and is approaching the house"

We waited until we heard the sound of the doors opening and the first thing I saw was the shock on Brown's face and then as the other figure turned and spoke I could see why. Elon wasn't whom I expected to see, did he suspect Nadav of foul play or had we got it wrong as to whom we thought was involved. As arranged Brown left the house and as Elon wasn't in the room I assumed he was making sure that he'd driven away, Brown though would only be driving around the block and then returning to a position further up the lane with us. I needed him close if anything were to go wrong. We both watched fascinated at the measures Elon had taken to ensure he wasn't contaminated; it looked like a full Hazmat suit with mask and breathing tank as well. My muscled tensed when he sat Steph up against him, I think had he undressed her I would have been in there stopping him, as it was I felt guilty for not thinking about him changing her appearance by putting different clothes on. Steph would be annoyed at herself for not suspecting Elon, hell I was. I was mystified why he had such a long length of material and then heard Hector swearing when he laid Steph on it on the floor and started to roll her up in it. Shit, she'd panic, she hated being in the dark as much as being in tight places, her experience of being in a coffin and then crammed into a cupboard had left her with a deep fear of places like that. I was almost ready to move when Hector touched my arm and pointed to the screen, she was being still and not drawing any attention to herself, she must be really concentrating hard to be able to manage herself so well. We watched as Elon gently picked her up and carried her out of the room, she was out of sight now so I would have to rely on Tank to keep an eye on her but I would follow the tracker as a blue blip on the screen of a pad that Hector was watching.

"He's put her in the back of a black van and has got into the driving seat, still not sure if there's anyone else inside, windows are tinted"

"Tank, you and Miguel follow the van, if the man is on his own alert me and you can take him, I'll stay with Steph"

"Roger"

He was driving toward New York and that surprised me, following the tracker now in Steph we followed a short distance behind, I just hoped that Steph was okay in the back of that van because we were travelling for at least forty minutes.

"Van's stopping, we're driving past it and slightly ahead of it"  
"We'll pull it up behind it Tank"

As the van stopped outside of what seemed the rear end of a large building I stopped the car a distance away and then got out of the car to follow on foot. I couldn't work out where he was taking her but I was even more surprised when a second man got out at the same time as Elon to help move Steph, the problem was that from the distance we were and the darkness of the area they were in it was impossible to recognize who it was. As they disappeared into the building we had to rely on the image from her tracker on the screen to be sure of where they had taken her. The blip that we had been intent on watching dimmed but stopped, that could only happen where the tracker went underground. We waited and soon enough a man came back out and got into the van, but this time I recognized him immediately and felt my body tense, tense as it would do when the prey was in sight, as I watched the van slowly started to drive down the street I needed to be sure that he didn't get away so immediately gave Tank the order.

"Tank he's all yours, take that bastard down and down hard"  
"Bout time"

Now the problem was where had Elon gone? Soon enough he came out through the door he'd entered but he was on his own, Steph was still where he had left her, what the hell game was he playing? We watched where he was headed for but instead of moving to a vehicle he walked up to a fire escape and started to climb it, breaking a window on the second floor and entering the building.

"Cal, with me. Miguel go with Hector"  
"Stairs?"

"Yes. Keep him in your sights and be ready to take him"  
I nodded to Hector as Miguel and Cal came running up to our car, taking the pad from Hector I watched as Hector and Miguel started to climb the fire escape, at that moment I would trust my men to keep him in sight and find out what he was going to do next. I turned and walked to the door that Steph had been taken to relieved when it opened easily, once inside we quietly descended the stone steps into a dark corridor, at this stage I wasn't sure if there was anyone else around, the possibility that Elon had delivered Steph to someone else was plaguing my thoughts. I looked at the pad for the place where Steph had been suddenly realizing she wasn't there, she was being moved, shit there could be someone else here or maybe she had decided to remove herself from danger.

"She was in there"  
"Locked Ranger"  
I took out my tool kit and finding a suitable piece started to work the lock while Cal shone the beam from his Maglite on it. I opened it quickly and we stepped into a dimly lit room, obviously a cellar, dark and damp with grey concrete floors and walls, the material Steph had been wrapped in was laying empty and discarded on the floor.

"Over here Ranger, there's a door leading along a corridor to some wooden steps"  
I confirmed that with Steph's position on the screen and was pleased to see that she wasn't that far ahead of us. We quietly climbed the steps and I opened the door at the top then quickly shut it.

"Shit there's hundreds of people up here"

"Hector, have you got eyes on Elon?"

"Si, he using phone to photo event underneath"  
"Hector I want that bastard locked up in a Rangeman cell"  
"Si"

"Cal we are about to walk into a rave, a fancy dress event, I need to get Steph out of here"  
He nodded his head obviously confused as to why I was stating the obvious but I think he soon discovered the dilemma we were facing. As we walked into the room everyone we saw was dressed as a zombie, hell it would be hard to find Steph in here, I knew we had eyes on her tracker, but it was moving around the place so quickly it was hard to follow.

"Rabbit's in the bag"

"Tank don't let him out of your sight, he's the one who took Steph and hurt her"

"We got other, heading to Rangeman"

"Good, Hector don't let the two men into contact with anyone"

Okay, now to find Steph, I looked at the screen and then followed the blip on the screen finding it so difficult to move through the people here. Cal whilst looking around stayed close to me as I had an idea of her location from watching the screen. Everyone seemed to be dancing to some slow type of rock music but with anyone who came close to them, that included Cal and me with them trying to swing me around, wrapping arms around me, I untangled myself numerous times from women dressed as zombies, hell one of them even tried biting my arm. Then I saw her, dancing on her own totally lost in the music, I couldn't work out what the hell she was doing and as a man approached her and started to kiss her neck I think I may have gotten a little bit annoyed. I moved quickly toward her and pushed him away from her and physically lifted her up into my arms, then started to make for a door I assumed would lead us to the outside. I was struggling to move forward for the crowds and how she stretched out her arms above her head as she started laughing. Cal caught up with us and led the way trying to make a path through the crowd for us. As we neared the exit I could hear Steph singing and laughing, writhing her body for me to let her go but I held tightly onto her until I was stood by the car and then put her down on her feet so that she was facing me.

"Hey, sexy man, you wanna dance with me?"  
I tried to look into her eyes but she was wearing those god dam contact lenses, but it was as though she wasn't really seeing me.

"Come on I wanna a drink, no I wanna dance, hey it's so cool out here, look the trees are waving at us, and hey there're rainbows growing from those flowers and wow the stars, I need to touch the stars"  
As she said that she literally fell backwards and I only just caught her before she hit the solid ground below her.

"Wow, I want to fly, up there in the stars, hey they're talking to me"  
I suddenly realized that by the way she was acting she was as high as a kite. I laid her down and started to check her for any injuries, as I looked at her arms I could see a smear of blood running down one arm close to where Bobby had fitted the cannula, shit had Elon injected her with something, it certainly looked like it from how she was behaving.

"Cal, have Brown meet us at Rangeman, tell him Elon injected her with something"

As I knelt looking down at her laid on the ground her arms and legs were moving apart, if she'd been lying in the snow she would have made the shape of an angel, yeah my angel. Being gentle to pick her up just wasn't going to work and I had to literally lift her in a fireman's lift to keep hold of her. Once in the car Cal drove while I had to almost pin her in the back seat, the number of times she' tried to get out of the car or stick her head out of the window, singing and moaning at how everything looked to her, I was feeling exhausted as we approached Rangeman and was grateful that Steph had eventually stopped moving about so much, so much in fact that she was passed out in my arms. I lifted her from the car and with Brown by my side went straight to the infirmary, I knew Tank would have dealt with the cameras but at that moment I didn't give a shit who we could bump into. As I laid her down on the bed she growled at me, hell a low deep growl, and then turned over onto her side and curled herself up, holding a pillow to her chest. I watched as Brown took her pulse, listened to her heart recorded her blood pressure and then seeing as she wasn't responding to anything he took a sample of blood.

"Well"  
"Asleep"  
"Asleep?"  
"Yeah from how you described her behavior and what Cal was reporting to me from the car I'd say she was on one hell of a trip. Let her sleep because when she wakes up she'll have one hell of a headache"

"Anything else I can do?"  
"Keep her hydrated, I wouldn't try and undress her or remove the makeup, she may get agitated with that, watch out for residual hallucinations, they may seem like nightmares to you but to her they'll be real"  
I didn't know what to expect as I carefully lifted her again and made my way up to seven, when I got there Tank and Hector were waiting for me sat in the lounge but I walked straight through to the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed, I stroked my hand down her cheek, feeling some calm pass through me. Once assured she was in a deep sleep I returned to the lounge but left a table light on and the door open.

"How is she Ranger?"  
"Brown thinks he gave her an injection of a hard drug, he's running blood tests now"  
"Cal said he'd never seen anything like it"  
"Hell, she was as high as a kite. If she had been infectious though she would have certainly come into contact with a lot of people"

"Both prisoners are in the cells downstairs, neither happy, both shouting and swearing"  
"Yeah well they've got all night to calm down"  
"What now Ranger?"  
"We wait, this is too important to mess it up"  
"I agree, we need to know who else is involved"  
"Yeah and I'm sure Little Girl will want a say"

"She deserves that after what they've put her through"

"Let us know how she is when she wakes up"  
I watched as Tank and Hector walked through the door and then for some unknown reason I secured the door, I left lights on in the lounge and stood by the bedroom door watching my Babe sleep and then after a very quick shower I slipped into bed next to her. Even in such a deep sleep she turned to me.

I woke to her movement, her crying and shaking so moved her to me holding her head to my chest, that was my first mistake as her breathing started to increase and I heard her gulping for air, my second mistake was trying to hold her with my arms around her, her screams were intense and she was definitely trying to hit me and managed to get a punch to my cheek and probably a few kicks to my shins, as I released her she turned as if to get up and run and that's when I made my third mistake. I pulled her back to me, her back tucked up against my chest and wrapped my arms around her feeling her immediately calm, at first I thought she was calming down and the dream was dissipating but the words that came from her broke my heart.

"Please Joe, no, please don't hurt me"

I released her and turned her back to me, careful not to make the same mistakes again, I settled her cheek onto my chest and started to speak to her in Spanish. I felt her relax against me and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, hell she'd been through so much I wasn't sure how she'd survive this but knew I'd be there to catch her when she fell.

The next time I heard her she was definitely growling and as I turned to look at her she was sat up in bed, lent forward holding her head in her hands.

"My head, why the hell does it hurt, it hurts so much?"  
"What do you remember Babe"  
"I can't think"

I quickly sent a message to Santos "Hangover cure needed" and then returned my attention to Steph, trying hard to swallow down a laugh as I looked at her. She still had all the makeup on and her hair was sticking out all over the place, with the contacts still in place she really did make for a gruesome sight. I sat against the headboard and pulled her over onto my legs her body curled up with her head on her knees.

"Babe?"  
"I can't remember, did I get drunk, no I was at the house waiting for"

I could almost hear her trying to get her brain to work and knew immediately as her eyes opened wide that she was starting to remember.

"Oh god what happened, did we get him?"  
"Yes we did, Babe he gave you some pretty high dosage drugs"  
"Drugs?"  
"Yeah, Mooner would be jealous"  
That brought her head up quickly; too quickly judging from the wince she gave.

"I got high?"  
"Oh Babe, you were practically flying"

"You know I don't get it, why get high if you don't remember and you wake up feeling like shit?"  
"I have no idea"  
I watched as she scrunched up her nose and turned her head toward the door, smiling as Santos just walked into the room holding a coke and fries. I held the coke while she literally licked the salt and fat from a chip and seductively slipped it into her mouth accentuating the whole move with a deep moan from her throat. I took a sip of the coke just to calm myself down, the sweet taste and the bubbles causing me to cough. I handed her the drink and cleared my throat watching as the whole lot disappeared.

"Better?"  
"Yeah, though I could probably do with some Advil for my head"  
"I'll get Brown up, he'll want to make sure you're recovered"  
"I was that bad?"  
"Not your fault Babe"  
I watched as she closed her eyes and lent her head against me, she was thinking and at the moment I didn't think was a good idea.

"Elon, I can't believe it was him, I never felt anything that would make me worry about him. I remember him dressing me and I nearly had a panic attack when he rolled me up in that material, I can't remember what happened next but I know I could hear voices and"

She didn't finish her sentence and I felt a shiver pass through her body, hell she must have been terrified when she realized Nicolini was there.  
"Babe"  
"He was there wasn't he?"  
"Yes, but we got him"

"Where is he?"  
"Locked up safely"

"He can't get out can he?"  
"No Babe, he can't get anywhere near you"

"Where did Elon take me?"  
"A zombie party"  
"You have got to be kidding me?"

"No, Elon, took photos of you and I presume sent them to someone to show that you were among people infecting them"

"So, only the same people know I'm not ill?"  
"Yeah, what you thinking Babe, you've got an evil look on your face"  
"Who, me? It would be a shame not to make full use of this makeup"

I looked at her, really looked beyond all of the makeup, she wanted to be able to face up to these men, face her fears and feel strong again.

"I have no problem with that Babe, as long as you are safe"

"Okay then get the team up here so we can plan how to do this and we have to get some information from them, not just scare them shitless"  
I rolled from the bed moving into the bathroom surprised when five minutes later she followed me in, I'd already showered and was stood with a towel around my hips but I carried on shaving while she brushed her teeth. I saw her look at herself in the mirror and wondered what she would do next.

"I look all red"  
"It's the contact lenses"  
"Shit I forgot about those"

I watched as she tried to pull a brush through her hair and then gave up and simply used her fingers to detangle the knots. I loved the way she scrunched up her nose and turned her head as she teased the curls through her hands. I finished shaving and looked into the mirror to see her looking back at me.

"I'm sorry I messed up with your shaving zone"  
"I love having you here, these everyday things seem easy with you, watching you, having your things mixed in with mine, I like it"

"You're sure?"

"Very"

Her hand came to my cheek to caress it and then she removed it quickly looking down and biting her lip.

"Did I cause that bruise?"  
"Maybe, but then I should have got out of the way"  
"Oh god, please tell me I didn't bite you?"

I looked at where she was now looking seeing small imprints on my arm, to be honest I had forgotten all about it since it wasn't sore.

"No another zombie decided to do that"

"That must have been a hell of a party, I wish I could remember it"  
"Come on we need to meet the team and plan out what to do next"

I changed into my black combat trousers and T-shirt before going through into the kitchen.

As I got myself something for breakfast I made Steph sit on the couch with some water and Advil, I knew Brown would interrogate me as to how she was. I heard the knock at the door and let the men in, surprised when Ella brought up the rear.

As they went into the lounge it was Ella and Brown who sat on either side of her and whilst I couldn't hear what was being said I knew they'd be making sure that she was feeling better.

"Beautiful I love the get up but why are you still in zombie mode, can't you get the stuff off?"  
"Part of the next plan Lester"  
"Yeah well as long as you don't go nuts again, hell can you imagine the scene of you running round down on five?"

"Santos"  
"I was only saying "  
"How are the Israelis?"  
"Tucked up in their apartments on four"  
"Tank put a lock down in place, no one in or out"

I watched as he took out his phone and then felt my phone vibrate with the alert. Now we needed to get down to business.

"Steph wants to pay a visit to our cells"  
"Are you sure that's a good idea Ranger?"  
"If we keep security tight then there shouldn't be a problem"  
"Both will be cuffed and shackled"  
I nodded to Hector as he made that statement, I would have insisted on that anyway.

"The doors are locked by an electromagnet which doesn't make a sound when it's opened or locked so having Steph go in should add to the illusion"  
"What illusion?"

I deferred to Steph because she was the one who had come up with the idea and was happy for me to ensure she was kept safe.  
"Steph?"

"Well I thought if they assumed the three of us had been picked up and locked up down in the cell area they may actually believe that someone was leaving us there because we were all infected. I mean the two of them did manhandle me so it's not far from what could have happened"

"You mean that the way to contain further outbreak is to leave the three of you away from any human contact?"  
"Yes. Babe who do you want to talk to first?"  
"Elon, something just doesn't sit right with me with him"

"There'll be Tank and Ram in the observation room, make sure we have a video recording of everything Tank. Hector, you and I will be outside the cells out of view but ready to go in. I'm thinking no Rangeman logo in sight, just in case. Santos you and Cal make sure the Israelis don't leave the building"

"You think more than one is involved?"  
I saw Steph nod, but I'm sure like me she was now confused as to who it might be.

"Questions?"

"What are we going to do with them afterwards?"  
I looked to Hector knowing that he felt the same as me, Nicolini had hurt Steph very badly and to be honest I wasn't adverse to him getting some of his own medicine before we tore him apart one limb at a time. I wouldn't suggest that though until Steph was in a better place to participate in that decision.

"Be ready to go in 30 minutes"  
"I'll touch up Steph's makeup and find something more suitable for her to wear"  
I nodded at Ella, knowing that she wanted to be a part of this, hell she knew what often went on here but had never been involved before. I went down to four with Santos to check with Mo, I didn't want him to think I was avoiding him but neither did I want them to suspect anything was going on. As I knocked on the door it was Roda who answered me and invited me in.

"Morning Ranger, how is Steph this morning?"  
"I don't know yet, I need to catch up with Brown later this morning and then make a quick trip out to see her"  
"Apparently Elon went out last night, did he say anything?"  
"I haven't seen him yet, if he stayed the night he's probably still sleeping"

Mo walked into the room coming up behind Roda and wrapped his arms around her, he seemed to hesitate for a moment and then stood to one side of her, as though their intimacy would upset me.

"Shit Ranger I still can't get my head around what happened to Steph, we need to find that bastard Nicolini"  
"I agree, if we meet in one of our conference rooms we can start to try and track him"  
"How about we start to put up all our Intel?"  
"That sounds like a plan, I'll get Santos to help with that"  
"You not doing that?"  
"No, I have a face to face with my handler to contend with"  
"Good luck with that"  
I turned and left the room finding Santos along the corridor in his apartment and gave him his instructions, the research Steph had done since leaving the boat was now secure in the office on seven so there could be no mistake made in giving the Israelis the heads up on what we'd found. I made my way back to seven to see Steph stood in front of Ella who was eyeing up her handiwork. As I looked at my Babe I took in the way her body had been presented. Ella had dressed her in a pale blue button up top with short sleeves and matching shorts that ended mid thigh. The effect was eye catching to say the least; areas of her legs and arms had a bruised appearance, dark blue almost black areas stood out. As Steph turned I noticed a trace of red running down from her ear to her neck, highlighting the symptom of internal bleeding. Her gums were now a deep red with her lips looking slightly cracked with dried blood on them. I didn't say anything, not really knowing what to say, thinking just how horrendous an outbreak of this virus could be, who ever was behind this was a sick malicious bastard.

"You ready?"  
She looked up at me and somehow I knew, I could feel the resolve radiate from her, that this would work.

I blocked the video feeds at each area we went to, I knew the men would be aware we had prisoners downstairs but they also knew not to ask or try to find anything out. I saw Tank and Ram in the observation booth, Tank nodded to me, indicating everything was in place and Ram just stared at Steph. True to form she gave them a small finger wave that brought a smile to both their faces. Hector was already in the corridor waiting for us so with a quick hold of my Babe I stepped away for her to do her thing.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

SPOV

As Ranger stepped away from me I closed my eyes and willed myself to find an inner strength, these men had not only hurt me but wanted to inflict so much pain and suffering on innocent people, they deserved my contempt and that's what they'd get. I had to find a voice that would give the best impression, the impression of a woman who was in pain, alone and confused.

"Please, is there anybody here, please, I don't want to be left on my own"

I made the words stretch out with a sob in between for effect and slowly started to slide the door to Elon's cell to one side.

"Is there someone here, please, I just need someone to be with me"

As I half stumbled through the doorway, holding onto the side, I saw the expression on Elon's face changing. At first it was surprise then shock followed by absolute fear but he didn't make a sound.

"Who's there, can you help me?"  
I let go of the frame and stumbled forward a few steps and then sank to my knees, keeping my head forward as if peering inside of the cell.

"Please talk to me, I'm so scared"

"Please"

I made an effort of getting to my feet, half falling back again to the floor and then taking an apparently deep breath and looking like it was a real effort moved forward again until I was a few feet in front of him. The lights weren't overtly bright but the white of the walls must have accentuated what he saw because he tried to move back from where he was sat. I looked to the floor and saw the shackles around his ankles secured to bolts in the floor, he was sat on a metal chair again bolted to the floor and as my eyes moved up, past the table and cuffs I rested my gaze on his face. I tilted my head from side to side as if trying to make out what I was seeing.

"Elon, is that you, oh Elon"

Another move and I was leaning against the table.

"Elon, are you here to help me, please say you're here to help me"

Again not a sound came from his mouth but his eyes were looking at me intently and his face showed just how afraid he was.

"Elon they've locked me up down here, why, why would they do that. Why won't they let me out, where's Ranger, he was supposed to look after me"  
I made the tears fall from my eyes, I just had to think of meeting that woman by the apartment on seven for the heartbreak to come rolling over me.

"Elon has he sent you to look after me?"  
I leaned forward and jumped back in surprise falling to my knees as he shouted out at me.

"Stay away from me"  
"Elon, we're all alone down here, you're the only one who can help"  
"Steph I am so sorry"  
"Why Elon?"  
"Steph you're dying honey"

"No, I can't be, how is that possible"  
"You have a virus that's slowly killing you"  
"A virus, is that why they locked me away?"  
"I think so"  
"But why are you here?"  
I saw his eyes look up to the ceiling and then as they looked back at me I could see they were damp with tears.  
"Elon are you sick as well?"  
"I don't know, but maybe they think I could be"

"But how, how can you be sick?"  
"Oh god Steph, I'm so sorry, I didn't know what else to do"  
"Elon, what are you saying?"  
"I moved you, I took you from where people were looking after you, it's all my fault"  
"Ranger, was he there, was he with me?"  
"Yeah he was"  
"Why Elon, why did you do it"

"I did it for Roda"  
Okay now I didn't need to act because I was totally thrown by what he'd said, how could Roda have made him do it?

"I don't understand, Roda?"  
"She asked me to move you, she's in so much trouble"  
"Elon you're scaring me"  
As I stood again and lent toward the desk I sneezed, well made the right noise and movement and as my hand went to my face I broke the small capsule Bobby had given to me. I don't know what I looked like now but Elon was covered in a fine spray of blood.

"Oh god I'm sorry Elon, I couldn't stop myself"  
As I moved to wipe his face he surprised me by allowing me to touch him, tears were streaming down his face now and he was struggling to move his hands up to wipe them away.

"It doesn't matter Steph, maybe this is for the best, We'll talk and we can help each other"  
Shit I needed to get him back to talk about the virus and why Roda had got him to move me.

"Elon did you inject me with the virus"  
"No Steph, no, I would never do anything like that"  
"Then who, who wanted me to die?"  
"It wasn't you, you just happened to catch the eye of someone, someone who could see you as means to an end"  
"But who?"  
"I don't know his name, only that he'll hurt Roda so badly, she's my baby sister, I'm supposed to protect her"  
"Did she inject me?"  
"She must have done it when she was changing your clothes, I didn't know anything about it until last night, that's when she pleaded with me to go instead of Nadav, to move you with a man in his van to some big party. I think I recognized the man, but he used the threat against Roda and I was in too deep by then, I took photos of you to send to the man who could hurt Roda"

"Elon what hold does he have over Roda?"

"It doesn't matter now"  
"But it does Elon, if I'm going to die at least let me know the truth"

I saw his head lower and was afraid he wouldn't say anymore, but then his shoulders slumped as though he was thinking through what to do.  
"When she was sixteen our mama died, Roda changed, became bitter. She ran away a year later, I didn't know where she'd gone or why. Then four years later she just turned up back home. She was more mature and calmer and because she'd missed conscription she volunteered. She was an amazing soldier, she really took to it and eventually she was teamed up with Mo. I only joined them for this mission, never worked with her before but she was tough and resourceful and we made some real headway finding sources and Intel. We'd not really found out a lot though that pointed to the threat we were after, when she said she might have found something. I remember her turning up to a meeting, she was different again, cold, reserved and calculating. That dam island, she said she could get inside undercover so that's where we headed for. She was the one to insist we got you out so we did, even though Nadav and Ben weren't convinced, but Mo, well he'd do anything for her. She told me last night that when she'd disappeared as a kid she'd ended up with a man she thought she loved and ended up in the middle of a militant group. That's how she was such a good soldier. He decided he'd had enough of that life and told her to go back home. Then a few days before we set sail he'd turned up looking for her, said he had photos that would prove she'd been part of terrorist attacks against Israel and responsible for running weapons inside our borders. She gave you the injection believing you were a threat to that man she'd met and he said if she didn't do what he told her he'd make sure the photos got out, she didn't know who you were or how you got there and said she didn't know what it was she was injecting you with. Shit if Ranger hadn't turned up we'd probably all be dead on that boat by now"  
I sat back on my backside, my knees pulled up to my face, she'd almost been played like everyone else had, she hadn't known how serious the results of that injection would be.

"You would have headed back to Israel wouldn't you?"  
"I suppose and we would have delivered one hell of a weapon wouldn't we?"  
"So why move me last night?"  
"She said he'd been in touch with her, change of plan, now all she had to do was to get you to that place"

"So why did you do it?"  
"She was scared for the baby, hell she begged me to do it. Hell Steph what else was I supposed to do?"

"Did you know where you were taking me?"

"I didn't know, that bastard turned up in the van and I just drove where he said, I thought maybe we'd end up somewhere quiet, I just didn't think, I was past thinking"

Okay I'd heard enough and was sure Ranger had as well, the man who had manipulated Roda was who we needed to find and Ranger would know how to deal with Roda after all she was the key now, she could identify him, maybe lead us to him, maybe even know if he had any more of that dam virus. I slowly stood up and decided I'd done with the acting for now, so slowly walked out of the cell, sliding the door closed behind me. As a wall surrounded me I know my legs buckled and I was crying, I wasn't sure who I was crying for, maybe Elon, possibly Roda and the baby she was carrying, Mo who would feel so betrayed and I suppose for me, who once again had inadvertently become a victim.

"Babe, please don't cry, none of this was your making, people make choices and decisions that only they can answer to"  
"I know, but so many lives ruined and the possibilities of what could have happened"  
"Babe that's what the terrorists want, to break us down, to make us fear them, we have to be strong, to continue to fight them, to undermine what they are trying to do. You have saved thousands of people and there are only a few casualties of this particular war"  
I suppose he was right, I'd never really seen it that way before, I'd always hated when someone would be killed because of what they were doing but now I could see that the sacrifice of one for many was actually the right way to go.

"I want to go in to see Nicolini"  
"Are you sure?"  
"Very, he isn't a terrorist fighting for a cause, he's a greedy self opinionated masochistic bastard"  
"Okay as long as you're sure"  
"I don't want to think about Elon and Roda or Mo at the moment"  
"I understand"

And I think he did.

I didn't bother to wipe away the tears from my face, they'd just add to the effect I needed. I let Ranger stand me up and look me straight in the eye, as though he could see through these dam contact lenses, trying to gauge my state of mind. Whatever he saw he held me as we walked to the cell door down the corridor. I'd rehearsed the words I'd said as I approached Elon, so decided it worked with him so why not use them.

"Please, is there anybody here, please, I don't want to be left on my own"

I made the words stretch out with a sob in between for effect and slowly started to slide the door to Nicolini's cell to one side.

"Is there someone here, please, I just need someone with me"

As I half stumbled through the doorway, holding onto the side, I saw the expression on Nicolini's face changing. At first it was surprise then shock followed by absolute fear but he didn't make a sound.

"Who's there, can you help me?"  
I let go of the frame and stumbled forward a few steps and then sank to my knees, keeping my head forward as if peering inside of the cell.

"Please talk to me, I'm so scared"

"Please"

I made an effort of getting to my feet, half falling back again to the floor and then taking an apparently deep breath and looking like it was a real effort moved forward again until I was a few feet in front of him. The lights weren't overtly bright but the white of the walls must have accentuated what he saw because he tried to move back from where he was sat. I looked to the floor and saw the shackles around his ankles secured to bolts in the floor, he was sat on a metal chair again bolted to the floor and as my eyes moved up, past the table and cuffs I rested my gaze on his face. I tilted my head from side to side as if trying to make out what I was seeing.

This time I allowed surprise to come to my face and using my feet scurried back a few feet as if in total fear. I was surprised with myself as I sat there looking into his face, I didn't feel the fear and terror creep into me like some insidious snake instead through pure reflex I started to laugh. I think that really shocked him and now his face tried to turn to something he thought would threaten me but that only made me laugh louder. I used the opportunity of laughing and turned it into a coughing fit, oh his face as I coughed toward him, what an absolute feeling of euphoria that gave me.

"Nicolini you have to be kidding me, you can't make me afraid of you now, hell what you tried to do to me is nothing compared to what will happen to you"  
"Get away from me"  
"Why, you're already infected. Nice to know it came back and bit you in the ass"  
"I can't be"  
"Well they locked you up with me so I think you must be, there's no one else down here, just us, waiting to die and then there'll be no more virus and no more you"  
"No, this wasn't meant to happen like this, you've already infected all those people last night"

I took a chance at what we had learned and threw a name into the mix.  
"Yeah but Connor won't be will he?"  
"He was the one who said I'd only get infected through liquids"  
"You just breathed in the stuff I coughed up"  
"He'll get me out"  
"Why Nicolini, why did you take me and hurt me?"  
"I told you, you hurt my family, got my son killed"

"So you got your Mother and Aunt to help you out"

"They still keep faith with the families need for retribution"  
"Bella is one hell of witch at giving out retribution"  
"She was all too happy to help, she doesn't want you to marry her Grandson"

Neither did I, but I was going to tell him that.

"So why change the plan?"  
"Connor gave me a better way of ending you and some incentive, especially since it was his consignment you messed with"

"Well I have to say Nicolini no one knows where you are and I really hope you die a slow painful death"

I heard him shouting after me as I stood and made for the door, did he really think his threats worried me, no, and I had one more threat for him.

"Annis and Bella will look good dressed in orange jumpsuits"  
He didn't respond, just sat there staring back at me. I slid the door shut and took in a couple of deep breaths absorbing the smell of Bulgari and Ranger as he moved into my outstretched arms. Yeah I felt a relief wash over me, as I cleansed my thoughts of how that man had made me feel.

"What do you want to do now Babe"  
"Me, I really need to wash all of this off"

Although I'm sure I saw his lips tip up at that thought even I knew it was never going to be that easy, soap and water just weren't up to the task. It was like removing face makeup, each part had to use cream and cotton wool to really rub it out of my skin. Ella must have known that I had made my way back up to seven because she was there prepared with everything that would be needed.

"Ella let me know when you've finished"  
The look that Ella gave Ranger at that request should have been enough for any man to quiver in his boots, but not Ranger, though she was adamant that she wouldn't let him near me. An hour later I was absolutely squeaky clean, my hair was washed, conditioned and I'd just dressed into a Rangeman uniform when Ranger came through the door.

"Ella said it would be at least another 30 minutes"  
"That's my fault, it was slow going to start with but we soon got into a routine and to be honest my skin feels a bit raw with all the scrubbing"  
"We're meeting with Mo for lunch in the conference room"  
That statement threw me because I hadn't really thought about how to progress with them, I mean seeing Roda wasn't at the top of my list of things to do. I knew Ranger sensed my hesitation so I came straight out with how I felt.

"I don't know how to feel about that, or even if I should be there or even Elon for that matter, how are you thinking of telling them, because I would want Roda to own up to the part she played and even give us something on this man Connor"  
"Maybe we both go in and use our silence to shock it out of her"  
"That could work"  
"If Elon is still missing maybe she'll have enough about her to be worried for him and hope that she has enough allegiance to him to give us some names"  
"Okay, I'll let you lead on this, you take all of the questions"

I think maybe this was a meeting I was going to be most worried about.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

RPOV

I knew that Mo and his team were in the conference room and that Ella was at this moment setting out plates of food for lunch so took the opportunity to call into Tank's office first. Even with Steph with me very few men said anything to her a fact that didn't go unnoticed by me. I closed the door and sat in front of Tank who was still busy on his computer. When he looked up he did a double take of Steph sat there then actually beamed at her.

"Little Girl glad to see you looking more like yourself"  
"So am I"  
"You did real well this morning, but I'm real sorry you had to go through that"  
"I needed to do it Tank"  
That was my cue to get asked what I needed answers for.

"Tank, why are the men so quiet?"  
"Well, somehow someone knew about Steph and how she err, got home from New York, so I had words this morning and threatened them that if they said anything to upset her I'd tear them apart myself"

I had no doubt that he would and was thankful he'd nipped that one in the bud, but now down to the reason we were here.

"Tank I need men stationed at strategic points in the building"  
"You think someone may try to do a runner?"  
"I don't know but warn the men that if it's a woman she has excellent combat skills and not to give her an inch"  
"Will do, you both going in there?"  
"Yes"  
"Mind if I watch?"  
"No, I'm sure the first few minutes will be, should we say interesting"

"I'll set the cameras to record, if you need the footage from this morning it's downloaded into your secure area"  
"Thanks Tank"  
"Only because it's for her"  
I turned to Steph as her cheeks turned pink and her eyes dropped to the floor, why she couldn't take a compliment was still beyond me and something that I would need to help her to overcome. The fact that she'd been quiet now struck me, and now that those infernal contact lenses were gone I could see clearly how tense she was. I stood and held out my hand, taking hers firmly in mine I led her down the corridor to the door that opened into the conference room.

"You okay with this?"  
She nodded her head, a sure indication that she was far from it. I led the way in through the door to see people stood at the side table helping themselves to food and then with Steph beside me led us to the head of the table seating her next to me but keeping her hand firmly in mine, I wasn't sure I could have let go anyway from the strong grip she had on it. Santos sat down next to Steph and took her other hand, even he could tell she was anxious, and offered his support. The chatter that had been going on slowly stopped as one by one Mo, Nadav and finally Roda turned round and set eyes on Steph. The falling and breaking of a plate was what broke the silence and then everyone was talking at once, that is all except Roda who was just staring at Steph.  
"I don't believe it"  
"How is she here?"  
"Is she still ill?"

"Is it Stephanie?"  
"Ranger what the hell's going on?"  
"Take a seat please"  
Everyone looked around at the other people and started to make them selves comfortable, even Roda managed to sit down keeping Mo next to her. I had a feeling she was going to brazen this out and assume we didn't know any of the actions she'd taken against Steph. Hector and Ram were in the room, both at the far end of the table, ensuring no one made for the door. I looked around and then as expected started on a story I hoped would leave them with more questions than answers.

"Roda where is Elon?"  
"I don't know"  
"He went to the house instead of you Nadav, why was that?"

"He insisted, in fact he was adamant he would go, I didn't see the harm, I mean there was nothing medical to be done"  
"Elon went to the house last night and for some reason he decided to remove Steph from the security we'd put in place, he removed her medication and then proceeded to put her into outdoor clothes. He rolled inside some material and then drove her to the rear entrance of a building. After administrating some drugs through injection he left her there"

"Are you saying he kidnapped her?"  
"That's what it looked like Mo"  
"But he knew she was contagious, why would he do that"  
"I don't know Navad"  
"Why the hell leave her there?"  
"You any ideas?"  
"But what did he hope to gain from that?"  
"You mean why the hell did he do it?"  
"So I ask again where is Elon"  
"Could he be infected now?"  
"Maybe the man who helped him is as well"

"Ranger what are you saying, that one of us was with him?"  
"Steph and I have had a lot of time to look back at what happened to her"  
"You mean when she was on that island?"  
"No when she was your boat"  
"But we looked after her"  
"Mo that's where she was injected"  
At Steph's squeeze of my hand I looked at her and followed her line of sight, Roda hadn't said anything throughout the discussion and now she was sat with her head down and trying very hard not to let the tears be seen by anyone.

"Roda why don't you take us through it"  
"I didn't know"  
"What didn't you know?"  
"I didn't know that syringe thing contained a deadly virus, he told me it was a slow acting poison, just to make her really ill, to teach her a lesson for betraying him"  
"You were trying to hurt her, why would you do that?"

"I'm so sorry Mo, he didn't give me any other choice"

Everyone went quiet as Mo turned Roda to him and started to gently ask the questions we all wanted to know the answers to.

"Roda who didn't give you a choice?"  
"Connor, he said he would turn me over to the Israeli Intelligence service and that he would make sure Elon was made to look guilty as well"  
"He blackmailed you?"  
"Yes, but I've changed, I'm not that same person anymore"

"Roda why didn't you talk to me?"  
"I couldn't, I didn't know what you would do, who you would believe"  
"Roda I knew what you got into when you disappeared years ago"  
"You did?"  
"Yes, lots of people go through what you did"  
"But he said he had photos of me and that I would be seen as a traitor and Elon , I couldn't put him through that"  
Well I didn't see that coming at all, and judging by Steph's reaction neither did she, maybe this would be a lot easier than we thought it would be.

"Roda is that why you injected Steph, because he threatened to tell the authorities?"  
"Yes"

"When did you know it was more than just something to make her a little ill?"

"When you told us that Ranger said she'd been injected with the virus"  
"Okay take it from the beginning, please Roda"  
"Connor found me when we went back to Israel, he said I was to get onto an island, the man there would give me a syringe. I had to make sure this woman escaped and then inject her with it, but he said it was to punish her for betraying him"

"Have you heard from him since?"  
"Yes, he told me I had to take her to this party up in New York, the man from the island would be there to help"  
"Why send Elon?"  
"I was scared, scared for our baby"  
"And you knew Elon would do anything to keep you safe"  
"Yes, oh god Mo, what if he's dead?"  
I nodded to Hector who left the room and then turned back to Mo, I missed Steph standing up and decided to let her have her way, though I really wasn't too sure what that was going to be.

"Roda, look at me"  
Roda looked at Steph and as if seeing her for the first time backed herself into the chair.

"You can't be here, you'll kill all of us"  
"Roda I'm okay, I'm not ill"  
"But I injected you, oh god Steph I'm so sorry"  
"For god's sake Roda pull yourself together. I am not ill, got it. But you need to get your life back so start acting like super sleuth that you are and work with us"

I wasn't sure who was the most shocked at Steph's unusual approach but I smiled to my self as I saw Roda sit up in her chair, square her shoulders and stare back at Steph.

"I can't get in touch with Connor, he finds me"

"Okay then give me something about him, I already know his name, hell even the size of "  
"Roda"

We all turned as Hector brought Elon into the room, thankfully Hector had made sure he'd been cleaned up, but it wasn't Roda who held his attention, it was Steph. Something in her face had me moving, she looked scared as Elon walked toward her so before he could get anywhere near her I was stood with her behind me facing down Elon.

"She lied to me, she set me up"  
"Not what you think Elon"  
"Isn't it, you told everyone she'd been infected"  
"She was"  
"Yeah and then she pretended to be dying so she could get sympathy? Yeah always the one who's touting for sympathy"

It wasn't me who punched him though I was a second from doing it, I turned to see Steph hopping from foot to foot holding her hand to her chest, swearing to herself.

"Elon you have a go at her again and you'll end up back downstairs"

"Ranger"  
"What Mo"

"Can you just explain whether or not Steph here was actually ill"  
"She had symptoms and then Ben got to her, he tried to kill her because he thought it was the only way to stop it. When I eventually found her she'd isolated herself away from anyone. Brown took some blood samples and yes she had the tell tale sign of the virus in her but somehow she'd built up an immunity to it"  
"So you're saying there's a cure?"  
"They're working on it, but it depends on whether the virus they took was a mutation"  
"So this Connor, he could have more?"  
"Yes"

I walked back to my chair watching as Steph and Roda were working together at a computer, if anyone could find Connor it would be her. I turned to Mo and went through with him, Elon and Nadav everything that had happened where Ben was concerned, then decided to relate the story involving that dam woman and my apartment.

"It could have been Sophia"  
I turned to Roda as she shouted that piece of information out.

"Who's she?"  
"A woman who came into our group just before I left"

"Okay we need to get some semblance of order here to maximize the people and skills in the room, everyone take a seat"

"Mo can you try to trace the steps Ben took between Washington and him stepping into Rangeman, he met someone who took a necklace from him"

"Roda locate Connor but report back to us, don't do anything"

"Nadav can you and Brown talk with that doctor from The Scripps Research Institute and then together go and talk to a Dr Jackson at Fort Detrick, Maryland. That's where the virus came from"  
"Santos find Christian Adams, get his story and a description of who he talked to"

"Ram, you and Elon hit that place where that party was, find out why it was targeted"

"Anything else?"

"Ranger?"  
"Yes Babe?"  
"Well if Connor knows Nicolini and I inadvertently spoiled him buying some arms, shouldn't we be looking for his brother Dario, sorry Jonas, he's bound to skip his bail and maybe he'll know how to contact Connor"  
"All yours Babe, check who wrote his bail first, maybe I can get a name for his lawyer as well"  
"Meet tonight at 2100hrs"  
As everyone left the room I nodded to Hector, he knew I needed to talk with Steph about the Nicolini downstairs in the cells, I wasn't too sure what her reaction would be, I knew what I wanted to happen to him but I wouldn't have her feeling any guilt or be afraid anymore.

"Babe, we need to deal with Nicolini downstairs"  
"I thought about him while Ella was cleaning me up. He's dangerous and not just to me, but before we deal with him I want to know where Morelli fits in with him and the brother"

"Were you being serious about pressing charges against Annis and Bella?"  
"I would if I could but I know we need evidence first"  
"You want to go talk with Morelli then?"  
"Now?"  
"Why not?"


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

SPOV

As I sat in the back of the car I was beginning to second guess myself, I mean I knew I wanted answers but I suppose I was afraid there weren't any answers to be found with Morelli. I had to get a grip of myself, I couldn't let myself down in front of Ranger and Tank as well. As we stopped in front of Morelli's house with the paint peeling on the door, the lace drapes at the window I suddenly realized what a fool I had been, and that gave me a boost to my confidence, he wouldn't intimidate me anymore. Morelli answered the door when I knocked, opening it then disappearing inside. I followed him in knowing Ranger had come in behind me and Tank was out back.

"So you finally came to your senses Cupcake?"  
"No Joe, I want some answers from you"  
"Give it up Cupcake whatever it is you think you're doing"  
"Joe I think there's something on my back, would you take a look?"  
"Sure"

I turned my back to him and slowly pulled up the hem of my T-shirt up until my back was completely exposed.

"Shit Cupcake what the hell trouble did you get into for that to happen"  
"Well, someone gave money to my mother and told her to send Stephanie after her grandmother, saying she'll bring her back. So Stephanie followed the trail of two women pretending to be Mrs. Mazuur, their names were Annis and Bella Donna. But then the big bad uncle, Demetri got his hands on Stephanie and beat the shit out of her"  
I turned pulling my shirt back down, I wasn't sure if he was shocked by the story or by the marks on my back.

"You're part of the story Joe, I mean you were watching Jonas and Gavin Nicolini, oh sorry, Collins, when we both know that they hadn't done anything, well not yet, and not officially"

"Shit Cupcake, I told you to leave it"  
"No you lied to me, you said there was going to be a police raid which was a total lie. You in with them Joe, you protecting your family?"

"You don't know what's going on?"  
"Then tell me"

"Or what Cupcake?"  
"I go ask the Chief for the answers instead"  
"All right, but if this gets out then we're both dead"  
"Who from?"

"Demetri. Look Gavin came to me, he hated what his father was in to, so I set up a deal with the Feds, he told them what he knew of the weapons being traded and they'd put him into the witness protection scheme"  
"So Gavin had to die for that to happen"  
"Yeah, it was the only way to stop Demetri looking for him"  
"Did I mention Demetri beat the shit out of me because he believed I killed his son Gavin?"  
"Oh god Cupcake, I never knew that, I never even thought he'd think that of you"

"Stop calling me by that name"

He sat down on the couch, his hands wiping down his face, was he now realizing the ramifications of what he'd done?

"Joe your Grandmother and Aunt Annis, they set me up"  
"Steph I swear I didn't know"  
"So what are you going to do about it Joe"

"Can't do anything, both women are back in Sicily"

"They staying there?"  
"I don't know"

"What about Jonas?"  
"He's gone, I don't know where"  
"Who bailed him out?"  
"The only person stupid enough to do that is Vinnie"  
"Well you do something before I do or I'll let Demetri know exactly what you did"

"You threatening me Steph"  
"After what I've been through because of it, dam right I am"

I turned to walk out of the door and felt him grab hold of my arm.

"Don't you fucking walk out of here"  
I felt Ranger step out of the shadows and saw the look Joe gave him, then he reluctantly let go of my arm.

"Brought rent a thug with you, shit Steph I thought you had more sense than getting close to him"  
I wasn't going to rise to his bait, he wasn't going to get me even more annoyed than I already was.

"Better than being part of the mafia family, Morelli, at least I know where his priorities are, unlike you"

I turned into Rangers arms and kissed him on the lips, enough for Morelli to growl but not enough that I lost sense of where I was.

"Make things happen Morelli, you have 24 hours, because then I find Demetri, and you know how I always find my man"

I turned with Ranger and we walked hand in hand out of that house, Tank was already back in the car and he smiled at me as we got in.

"Proud of you Babe"  
"Everything all started because of Morelli and he won't even admit it"  
"We'll deal with him Babe, what's the saying"  
"Yeah, revenge is a dish best served cold"  
"You want to stop off at the office?"  
"Yeah, I haven't seen the girls for ages and I can get Connie to print that file for me"  
It was late afternoon but I knew Connie would there, maybe not Lula or Vinnie, it felt so strange to be stood here, hell how long had it been since I left to find Grandma. I walked into the office with Ranger by my side seeing the look of surprise from Connie.

"Steph, you're back, hell I'm real happy to see you, did you have a good vacation?"  
"Yeah, it was certainly an experience"  
"Well we need a girls night out and then you can tell us all about it"  
"So how's things going?"  
"Not too bad, Lula's been managing the regulars, well once she toned down her attitude and Rangeman has been picking the rest up"  
"So do you have Nichol's file yet?"  
"Yeah, oh I got the receipt for Gavin and transferred the money, his dear old uncle's quite high, normally Rangeman"  
"I'll take it then Connie and Steph can help out"  
"That's good with me, because there's only one other"  
Connie passed one file to me and one to Ranger, I just put it in my bag, something to read through later.

"Err, Steph, Morelli keeps calling in asking where you are"  
"That's okay, he won't be doing that any more, I just spoke with him"  
"See you later in the week, I'm sure Lula will be pleased you're back"

I wasn't sure why but I didn't feel pleased to be back in the normality of picking up skips or working with Lula, I think I'd changed since being away, I just wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, I mean I suppose when everything was sorted I'd have an apartment to pay for and bills to find money for and I'd tried other jobs but they just didn't seem to suit me. I knew I was quiet in the car back to Rangeman but I had so much to think about and I honestly didn't know where to start.

"Babe, did you hear me?"  
"Sorry I was miles away"  
"Do you want dinner on seven?"  
"Or?"  
"Do want to go out"  
Now that surprised me, the last time Ranger took me out to dinner I'd had to rush home totally embarrassed at what had happened, did I want to go out though, that was what I needed to decide.

"No, let's stay in, I know I've not been out as such but I need to call my Dad and Mary Lou and catch up with them"  
"I'll let Ella know"

Once inside I made for the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water then took the file from Ranger and started to read through the information that was there. It read exactly as the search I'd done on his name sake Dario Collins, maybe it was time to see if there was some sort of connection to the Collins family, I mean why choose them? So I started to look through the search going back to the beginning, maybe childhood friends or their parents knew each other, nah, I mean I couldn't see Annis at a PTA meeting. I brought up her search anyway and started to cross check between them knowing there had to be something. I felt Ranger's hands under my armpits and he lifted me so that I could at least be fed, but it was so worth it, chicken pieces that were coated in a spicey sauce with crisp roasted veg and then to make it really complete sorbet ice cream with fresh strawberries and cream.

"You ready for the meeting Babe?"  
"Yeah just let me finish printing something off"

I had an idea floating around in my head, it was a bit vague as yet, and I wasn't too sure if I had all of the pieces yet to fit it all together. Everyone was there waiting in the conference room, well except for Bobby and Nadav who I assumed were following up on the virus. Ranger sat at the head of the table so I took my usual place to his left with Lester sat beside me.

"Santos"  
"I found Christian Adams, he's in a real mess. He knows he did something wrong by stealing that vial but he was scared shitless. He never actually saw anyone"  
"How did he get the messages then?"  
"Well he said at first that he and Chloe thought someone was playing pranks with them, they'd find small dead animals on the doorstep when they came home. A mouse to start with, then a rat by the time a cat and then a dog appeared they were starting to get worried. The first message came with a dead possum, steal a vial of the Marburg virus or else. The body of a fawn instructed him where to deliver it and then a deer said that what had happened to it would happen to Chloe"

"Where did he deliver the vial to"  
"He got instructions to leave it inside an old tree out in the woods"

"Why did he go ahead with it?"  
"Chloe disappeared, so he was scared shitless for her"

"Roda"

I tuned out as Ranger went through the rest of the reports and started to write on the pad in front of me. Gavin's name went in the middle with the word gunrunner below, a line to the left went to Morelli. Then I connected Gavin's name to Jonas that continued to Demetri. From Demetri a sideways line to Connor. For some reason I wanted to draw a line from Gavin to Connor but instead made the shape of a large fancy question mark with the word hunter in the middle. I felt that there was a connection between Connor to Gavin, that Gavin was what tied everyone together, but that couldn't be, I mean Morelli had said that Gavin had turned in evidence against Jonas and was now in a witness protection scheme. I studied what was in the paper in front of me and remembered something that Morelli had said when he'd taken me to that awful cabin, the cabin belonged in the family and was used for hunting. Nah a long shot, that place hadn't been used in years, but I added a second line from Gavin to Morelli with the shape of a rifle inside .As it went quiet I realized the meeting had finished, there hadn't been anything that had drawn my attention from my doodling so I screwed up the paper and throwing it in the bin walked out with Ranger still thinking things through.

I wanted to find out why the Collins family had been used, after all for some reason people tend to stick with something they are familiar with and I felt sure the Nicolini's were familiar with that family. I now had the print outs of the family so starting with the parents I went to work, as I was supposed to be looking for Jonas I started with his counterpart, the one who was a retired fireman living down in Florida. I spent ages looking through but nothing jumped out at me, so on a whim I put in the search for Gavin Collins but this time I focused from when he was born. Interesting, I hadn't realized he'd been born in Philadelphia, not that far away from here. His mother had a hard time with childbirth and the medical records showed extensive hospital visit for Gavin until at the age of five he'd had the surgery for his cleft palate. I wondered why they waited so long for that to happen but then decided maybe it was a question of cost or medical insurance, maybe he struggled finding work. School looked to have been a nightmare for Gavin, lots of reports of fights and scuffles with other children and his work seemed to suffer as a consequence, but when I cross checked with his medical records I was surprised at the number of entries for this period of time. Small injuries, knocks to the head, bruised ribs and broken cheek bones and nose. Fractures to his fingers, shit were his parents abusing him? That's exactly what welfare thought and there was a note in the records of a referral. Then suddenly the family moved down to Jacksonville, Florida and all problems of injuries disappeared, how strange was that, unless. I remembered how horrendous my days at school had been with Joyce constantly harassing me, there were times I fought back, literally, and often went home with a black eye or bruised arms or legs. Of course my mother believed the school who believed Joyce's account, so I was never treated for any of my injuries and usually got grounded in my bedroom. So what if Gavin was systematically being bullied. I found the school he first went to and then found some archive photos, looking for a class photo from something like 27 years ago. Man did that take some finding, but I couldn't believe the names and faces displayed, because sat behind poor Gavin was non other than Gavin Nicolini, the same mop of black hair and thin features, but the surprise was the cute looking blonde kid sat next to him, non other than Connor Laycom. Bingo I'd found the connection between Gavin and Connor, okay now I'd solved that part of my curiosity I started back on my original task of trying to locate Jonas.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

RPOV

I knew how tenacious Steph could be, but as I looked at my watch realizing how late it was I decided we'd both worked too long and hard. I shut down my laptop saving the report I was writing and wondered into the office, stopping to look at the sight in front of me. Steph's prone shape amidst piles of papers and not just on the desk, all over the floor as well. My instinct was to tidy them up but I knew better than that, Steph would know where any sheet of paper was and could easily locate any piece of information, so me tidying up would wreck her method of organizing. I stepped over the papers and gently lifted her up in my arms, she was so deep in sleep she never moved or murmured, so ensuring her head was propped against my shoulder I carried her through to the bedroom. Having removed her bra and trousers I quickly undressed and was soon holding her to me as I too fell into a deep sleep.

Morning came too soon and as my alarm went off I decided to stay where I was, Steph had been plagued with nightmares during her sleep and to be honest I was still tired and seeing as she seemed to be settled into a deep sleep closed my eyes telling my internal clock to wake in a couple of hours. The second time of waking I felt more rested but as I moved to slip from the bed I heard that throaty sound that told me my Babe was waking up. After a quick visit to the bathroom I made sure I returned with a coffee for her.

"Mmm, coffee"  
"Just for you, coffee in bed"  
"I feel I need the caffeine this morning, I don't even remember going to bed"  
I watched as she lifted the covers and looked down at what she was wearing then saw her big blue eyes land on me.

"I fell asleep didn't I?"  
"Yeah, you didn't even wake up when I brought you to bed"  
"I couldn't make much headway on Jonas"  
"You'll get there, you need a break to let your brain rest up"  
"And do what?"  
"How about we go get that skip of yours and then call in at Pinos for lunch"

"Yeah I can work with that"  
"I'll get breakfast while you get ready"  
As I dished toast and scrambled egg onto two plates she appeared in the doorway carrying her cat boots in one hand and a bag in the other. As we ate at the kitchen bar she pulled out the file for her FTA.

"He got done for drunk and disorderly, seems that's a pattern he's developing. If we're lucky he'll be at home sleeping off another hangover"

"Who is he?"  
"Graeme Slider, aged 43, weighs 300 pounds and is exactly six foot tall. One prior for the same charge"  
"Where does he live?"  
"Apartment down Chestnut"  
"Okay then, what do you need in your bag"  
Yeah I knew her well, I knew she wouldn't have a gun but to be honest as she hadn't been back to her apartment I doubted she'd have anything else either.

"Everything's still in my apartment and I don't have a phone, sheesh no wonder it's been quiet and you know what, I haven't missed it"  
I found us both a set of cuffs and a can of spray for her in a drawer in the hall and then went through to the safe in my bedroom and armed myself with my gun in my ankle holster, one in the utility belt around my waist and then added two knives in their usual hiding places. Being with Steph for what seemed like a simple pick up could always be challenging so I knew from experience to go well prepared. As we left the apartment and headed for the lift I let Santos and Tank know what are plans were, after all back up could always be needed. I drove the Porsche SUV as Steph fed the address into the SAT Nav and we moved easily from the garage onto the street. Traffic was light, the rush hour behind us and we found parking outside of the building where Slider lived.

"Why do they always live on the top floor?"  
I laughed at the exasperated look on her face as she eyed the stairs.

"Babe you've been doing really well lately"  
"I still don't like stairs"

The front door was open and we passed several doors before we found the stairs in the middle of the building, I felt Steph jump as the front door slammed shut, though I must admit even I wasn't sure who had just left. Four flights and I was pleased to see she was managing, a bit flushed but no panting for breath. As we reached the door that belonged to Slider I stood to the right as Steph stood to the left and then watched as she knocked on the door, when there were no sounds to be heard she knocked louder and this time we both heard the flush from the bathroom. I knocked again this time taking the lead.

"Open up Slider, Bond Enforcement, you missed your court date"

We both heard the slide of a window and as I stood back to kick at the door I heard Steph shout at me as she turned.

"I'll head him off at the back"

The door gave way as my boot hit it just under the lock and with a gun in my hand I moved to the right and started to scan the room. A breeze was blowing the drape at the window so that's where I headed for, but still keeping an eye on the room. I've had men stay back hidden in a room after opening a window thinking they would then just walk out of the door and disappear or stay hidden thinking I'd come to the conclusion that I'd lost them. I spied Slider almost at the bottom with Steph stood out of view, he wouldn't see her until she made a grab for him. I decided returning down the stairs was safer and as I rounded the corner of the building found Steph stood with her hands on her hips looking on Slider. He must have fallen backwards, or Steph had pulled him down, because his leg had gone between the rungs and he was stuck swinging upside down, just like a trapeze artist.

"Get me down you bitch"

"You broke my leg"

I stepped to his back and cuffed his wrists; no way was I getting him down when his arms were free.

"Steph you pull the ladder right down while I lift him out"  
As the ladder came down to where it should have been I easily lifted and pulled him out.

"You walking or do I need to manhandle you?"

I saw the look he gave me and as he wisely decided to walk. Once inside the car he was shackled and I drove across town to the police station.

"Are you coming in with me?"  
"Of course Babe"  
I let Steph take the skip by his arm and watched as she led him across the car park and in through the door, she needed to do that, to feel that she was the one taking him in, after all I had no idea whether the cops had bets on whether she needed help from the likes of me. I stayed behind her as she walked up to the desk and then just as she was about to cuff him to the bench there was the loud sound of a boom followed by the movement of air from an explosion, that sent me backwards against a wall, slamming hard into the boards and notices. I quickly looked across to where Steph had been to check on her, relieved to see that she was sat against the desk on the floor, but she gave me a nod to indicate she was all right. I was about to move across to her when the sound of bangs became noticeable, all coming from a room between where I was and where Steph was sat. I saw Eddie near to her and shouted out to him, because there was no way I could move from where I was, plus I decided that the police could probably do with some help to subdue who ever was in that room.

"Eddie take Steph and make sure she stays with you"  
He nodded as he helped her up and along with other officers vacated the building. Ranor was the first person I saw and he was now positioned to one side of the door, I moved and stood with my back to the wall on the other side of the door.

"You know who's in there?"  
"No idea, it's not such a big room, more of a storage area really"  
"So places to hide behind then?"  
"Yeah, shit. There are no windows to see what's going on"  
"You got a camera to push under the door?"  
He looked at me as if I was mad so deciding that being stood out here was wasting my time I aimed my foot for the lock and just like I had done not an hour before, kicked the door open, diving back to the protection of the wall. There was no reaction, absolute silence and then the faint smell of smoke as it drifted through the door.

"Shit that smell like fire crackers to you?"  
I had to agree and as someone opposite us switched on a powerful beam of light all there was to see were the burnt remains of boxes.

"Where the hell did that explosion come from?"  
I looked around seeing the remains of a trashcan scattered on the floor.

"There. I'll leave you guys to it Detective"

"Thanks for the help"

Okay now to find Steph and head to Pinos before she ended up worrying about me. I made my way through the door and out into the parking area seeing a crowd gathered together at the far end of the car park, no doubt that was the muster area for the building and looked around for Steph. Eddie was there talking with Carl so I assumed he knew where she was.

"Eddie, where's Steph?"  
"Rangeman guy, said she'd be better taken back to Rangeman"  
I thought that was strange so checked my phone for a message to that effect and then saw Santos and Tank walking toward me.

"Who took Steph back?"  
"Say again"  
"Eddie said a Rangeman car took Steph back to Rangeman"  
"Aint no one else deployed here"  
"Eddie who was it that Steph went with?"  
After all he knew most of my men from us bringing skips in or for being with Steph.

"Don't know, must be knew 'cos I aint seen him before. She sure didn't want to go though"  
The hairs on the back of my neck were beginning to rise, something wasn't feeling right with this whole goddam situation.

"Describe him Eddie"

"Tall, blonde with the usual Rangeman build, had black cargos and jacket on, he had a black Ford SUV, I think someone else was driving because he got in the back with Steph"  
I turned for my truck punching in Hector's number.

"Hector pull up Steph's tracker"

"Heading north on route 1, shit Ranger it just disappeared"  
"It can't have, check it again"

"It's gone, I don't understand why it would do that"  
"Keep checking Hector and pull up any cameras on that road, you're looking for a black Ford SUV"  
I walked back into the station ignoring the requests of fire fighters who had just turned up to stay outside and found Ranor still stood by the door to that dam room.

"Ranor, I need footage for the cameras outside and ones for this area"

He looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"And just why should I do that?"  
"Because I think that little exhibition was a distraction to get Steph out of the building"  
"Why the hell would anyone want to do that?"  
I had an awful feeling he wasn't going to cooperate with what I needed so turning back I went to my next source Eddie.

"Eddie it wasn't one of my men who took Steph, get me footage will you, the car park and inside the station"  
"Not gonna happen Ranger, cameras went down last night and the techs haven't been out to find the fault"

I walked up to my SUV bringing both fists down on the hood of the car, I was furious with myself, and with that man who had blatantly taken Steph right out from under my nose. I felt the presence of Santos and Tank behind me and as I pressed down on the hood I took steadying breaths to reign in my temper. I knew if necessary they would take me down, but with the anger I had inside of me I doubted even the two of them would manage that, but I knew I didn't need them or me to be injured. I threw my keys at Santos and made to get inside the car, he would know to get us back to Rangeman quickly.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

SPOV

The boom that came past me took me completely by surprise; I mean hell I was inside a police station not down on Stark. I hadn't even cuffed Slider to the bench and as I looked around at the chaos realized he'd done a runner. I caught sight of Ranger across the other side of the room, I knew he'd put a little distance between us so I had some dignity as I'd walked in with a skip. The police betting on me had also now included whether or not I had a man in black with me and I'd managed to avoid that, well maybe not, I was with Lester to bring in that fat freak Holster. As he looked at me I knew he was worried so I nodded my head to reassure him I was okay. As I got to my feet Eddie came up to me and taking me by my hand we started to walk out through the door with everyone else who were intent on leaving. I faltered as the sound of what seemed like gun shots rang out, but Eddie only made me walk faster.

"Steph, Ranger said to make sure that you're with me and safe"  
"But Ranger, he's"  
"Steph he's the best, but only if he hasn't to worry about you"  
"I suppose"  
We made our way toward all the crowds but I insisted on being able to keep a watch on the door. There were no more noises coming from the building, which I took as a good sign and turned to see Eddie talking to someone, a Rangeman maybe, but with his back to me I wasn't sure who it was, the jacket and combat pants seemed to match. I saw Eddie nod and then the man turned around quickly taking my arm in his. He was keeping me close, but just in front of him so I couldn't see who it was but I knew none of the Rangeman would manhandle me like he was doing. I tried to pull back but to no avail, whoever it was had a grip like iron. He headed for a black SUV and for some reason I was now starting to really panic. I pulled, I tried to hit out at him but it was as he opened the door that I caught a look at his face. Good looking with blonde hair, oh no, he wasn't going to get away with this. I bucked and kicked as he threw me across the seat then felt his hand over my mouth. So I bit down hard on his skin eliciting a growl and just enough room to start my attack again. I'm not sure what happened next, I think someone stun gunned me on the back of my neck but I'd never felt one that gave out so much pain as this one had, I know my breathing increased along with my heart, white light invaded my eyes and as it dimmed every nerve in my body was tingling until that too began to fade away.

I was aware that my mind was working, maybe a bit slower than usual because for the life of me I couldn't remember what had happened or where I was. My body was aching but as I tried to move my arms they wouldn't budge, a pain in my wrists gave me the knowledge that they were tied together. My face was against a foul smelling pillow so I had to be laid on my stomach. As the smell intensified I was panicking all over again. Had Morelli taken me, was he behind this, oh god please don't let him touch me, not like he had done before because I now knew where I was, that horrible little cabin in the woods where Morelli had brought me before and where I'd tried to hide when I thought I was infected with that virus. I didn't move a muscle as I became aware of voices close by.

"Brilliant idea Con to get her"

"I knew if we stayed close to that drunk she'd come for him"

"How'd you get the stuff insidde of the station"

"The police didn't look twice when I wore that uniform and then all I had to do was press the remote"

"What the hell did you do to her?"  
"I only stunned her"  
"She looked like she was having a heart attack"  
"I just touched it to her neck, maybe she's more sensitive to the kick they give out"  
"That why she's been out for so long?"  
"Not sure, she'll be fine"  
"So what are the plans Con"  
"I need to know if she was injected"  
"If she was then it aint worked"  
"Ben said she had some of the symptoms"  
"Yeah well he'd have said anything the way that woman of yours handled him"  
"I don't understand how he knew"  
"Maybe because you screwed up and threatened his sister and then killed her"  
"But how did he know it was me?"

"He didn't, you idiot, he followed that stupid bitch that chases you round"

"She'd do anything for me"

"So how did she get caught by him?"  
"I think maybe he was watching her too closely"  
"She did good keeping him under control"

"Yeah, talked him into believing he was responsible"  
"Too good, seeing as he offed himself"

"One less job for us to do, he was beginning to get in the way"

"That woman is a lose end you know"

"No she's my lose end, she's the only woman for me"

"You telling me you're gonna settle down with her?"

"It's time, we've wasted too much time already, once this deal is done I'll have enough money for us to disappear, she's worked too hard for too long and I think we deserve it"

"She could have become infected you know"

"No, once home in Israel she was coming to me, as it was this one here was sent back home"  
"Well we have this one now, so what's the plan Con?"

I couldn't believe they were just sat there talking, I just wish Con would tell whoever was with him the rest of the plan, I wanted to know as well. I was too busy thinking to notice that there were no more voices and wasn't prepared for someone touching my face and automatically flinched away.

"Ah, our sleeping beauty is awake at last"

I felt myself being turned and then lifted so I was sat on the bed, my eyes opened slowly and there in front of me was the smiling face of Connor Laycom. Being a smartass though I decided to play dumb and smiled back at him.

"Carl, is it really you, are you here to help me again?"  
"You remembered me?"  
"Yeah well, from a vacation in hell you were the only person to be nice to me"  
"You find your Grandmother then?"  
"No, but she got home safely"  
"Good to hear"  
"You gonna untie me please"  
"Sure why not"  
"Where am I?"  
"I errr, found you alone in a car by the road so brought you here"

I winced as he untied the rope from my wrists and watched as he unfastened my ankles then rubbed my hand over my neck, shit it hurt.

"My neck hurts, I think someone must have cracked my head with something"

"Where were you?"

"Police station, I think"

"Can't remember?"  
I shook my head and looked down at my hands, two could play at this lying game. I shuffled so my legs were over the bed and looked around the hut not seeing anyone else here, I wonder where the other man had gone , and now that I thought of the voice I'd heard I was sure I recognized it.

"Will you take me home please Carl?"  
"Sorry, no can do"  
"Why not?"  
I just didn't expect it and wasn't prepared for his hand as he backhanded my face; it sent me backwards so I ended up on the bed again.

"Stephanie, Stephanie don't play games with me. You are now too important to let go"  
"I don't understand, how am I important?"  
"Well there are two options. You are contaminated with a deadly virus so are a walking weapon worth millions or somehow you have built up an immunity to it and are a walking cure that will sell for millions"

"I don't know what you're talking about"  
"Oh yes you do. So you are going to stay here inside while I set up my online bidding site and then in a few days I'll sell you to the highest bidder. Somehow considering the time lapse I'm going for the second option"  
"But what's the point of a cure?"  
"I'm selling the rest of the vial as well"  
Shit, if he sold the vial hundreds would die and only the scumbag who bought me would have a chance of surviving, unless of course Bobby was right and the virus had mutated meaning it might not be the killer he thought. I watched as Connor pulled a chain from under the bed and then as he fastened a shackle around my ankle.

"It's long enough to get to the bathroom and reach food that I push through to you"  
"What if I am infectious and you just got it?"  
"No, I've been watching you, those men you hang around with aren't showing symptoms"  
"What if I wasn't injected?"  
"You were, I had Roda upload a photo"

"But you would have infected everyone on that boat"

"That was the idea, they were supposed to head back to Israel so the virus would have spread from them and I'm sure you would have been returned home. Both countries would have been hit"

You know at this moment I was beginning to hate her, not once had she divulged that little piece of information and maybe that meant she could still get in touch with him. I lent against the wall behind the bed, I didn't know which hurt the most my face or my neck and then I remembered, the tracker. Ranger would find me, he'd follow the tracker but as I pulled my hand away and saw the blood on the tips of fingers I suddenly panicked, had the tracker been damaged? But he'd come, he had to come because I wasn't sure if I could get this man to listen to me let alone waste enough time to slow down what he was doing.

"Why, why are you doing this, don't you realize that all you'll do is kill innocent people"

"Innocent, no one is innocent"  
"Maybe you were once, what happened to make you so cruel?"

"You dare question what makes me who I am, who the hell do you think you are?"

"I don't know, but I know when I see someone who has been so badly hurt all they have is hatred inside of them"  
"Yeah well maybe if you'd had a so called father like mine you'd understand"  
"I do understand, maybe I've not had it as hard as you but I have a mother who has never shown her love for me"  
"Being hated and loathed, never being good enough?"  
"Something like that"

"I don't have time for this, maybe had we met under different circumstances or in a different era, or time"  
I'm sure he actually sighed but quickly his face grew cold and he simply turned and walked out of the room.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

RPOV

Being back at Rangeman with every man doing his best to find any trace of Steph was driving me crazy. Nothing was coming through, Hector couldn't locate the black SUV and couldn't get Steph's tracker back on line. I just couldn't work out why he would take her, was it just because she'd seen him and could identify him, surely not, I mean we knew who he was and what he looked like. Roda was coming up with nothing but then she wasn't as good as Steph at finding the clues and working through a problem. Brown and Nadav were still at the research facility not really getting anywhere fast, Mo had come up with Ben's route as he travelled to Trenton, but not of any contacts he may have made.

"Ram, Elon, that party, did you find out why it was targeted?"

"Only that it hit young people between the ages of 20 and 30, it was put out through social media and literally snowballed. All ages, ethnic groups, religions, absolutely no indication of why it was targeted other than if Steph had been infectious the result would have been widespread and devastating starting in New York"

"A show of what he could do, a start to an attack, terror works by hitting innocent people"  
"I know Mo"

As I wondered around the room looking at the boards Ella came in with more coffee and sandwiches, as she bent down and picked up the bin to go empty it I had a sudden thought and went and took it off her.

"Ranger I was just getting rid of the rubbish"  
"I know Ella but sometimes we throw away paper that we may need again"  
"What about all of the paper in your office?"  
That would be Steph's research that I had distracted her from continuing this morning.

"Do you need me to tidy it up?"

"I'll go sort it out now Ella"

I left the room and went up to seven and walked to the office door, I could picture her as she had been last night, fast asleep with her head on the table. The problem was that I had no idea what she had been looking at or how all of these papers related. I wasn't sure what order they took so in desperation simply picked up the piles and put them all together. Santos would help out with this, in some ways he also knew how she worked through something. With the papers now in piles again in the conference room we started the arduous task of reading them through. I looked up at those around me and lent back studying Roda.

"Roda you said you may know the woman who came here, can you find her?"  
"Maybe, Ram showed me the video and I'm pretty sure it's her, the thing is he hated when woman got too close to him"

"Ram do the usual and check out the morgue, someone like Connor won't want any loose ends"

"Have to be in the morning Ranger, it's late they'll be closed"  
I hadn't realized what the time was and as I looked out of the window saw only the darkness, Steph would be scared stiff, alone, in the dark and wondering why the hell I wasn't there to find her, hell it had been nearly twelve hours since she'd gone missing and I felt we were no further forward. I sent most people in the room away to get some sleep but Santos refused and even Tank joined us with mugs and a full pot of coffee. As we looked through the papers I was surprised when Steph had spent so much time researching the family whose identity the Nicolinis had taken, though from what I'd read so far there didn't seem to be anything here.

"Hell, she found the link"  
"What link?"  
"Well she looked at that Gavin Collins when he was a kid and found an old school photo of him, I think if I'm reading this right the kid was bullied badly at school. Anyway look who are on the photo sat together"  
I looked at the photo of maybe 25 kids sat in rows and read the names from below. Gavin Nicolini was behind his victim and sat next to him was the blonde hair of the kid called Connor Laycom. The problem was I wasn't sure how that helped to locate Steph and was looking across the table when the bin that was now full of bits of paper caught my eye. Steph had been writing and doodling during the meeting last night, she was so engrossed with it that she wasn't really listening to the others as they gave their reports and it was after that when she really got into the research we were looking at. I went round the table and picked up the bin emptying it onto the table, much to the astonishment of Tank and Santos.

"Err, Ranger?"  
"Remember Steph doodling last night during the meeting?"  
"Yeah, but she often does that"  
"No, this was different, she was working something out"  
"So you want to find that piece of paper?"  
I just looked at Santos, what the hell did he think I was doing? He came over to the pile now laying there, as did Tank, and as we took out each piece of paper we straightened it out, read or looked at it then put it back into the bin. At last I pulled one out that her writing on it, her thoughts as she tried to put pieces together. I could almost hear her thoughts out loud as I looked at the names and arrows on the paper. Gavin's name was in the middle with the word gunrunner below, a line to the left went to Morelli. Okay he'd gone to Morelli to give evidence and be taken into the witness protection scheme. She'd then connected Gavin's name to Dario that continued to Demetri, his father and uncle. From Demetri a sideways line to Connor, we knew that Demetri had met up with Connor in Greece probably to discuss Steph's journey, as to who called who no one was sure. It was the mark between Gavin to Connor, the shape of a large fancy question mark with the word hunter in the middle that she obviously wasn't sure about last night, though I smiled because she was listening to what was being said. The addition of a second line from Gavin to Morelli with the shape of a rifle inside intrigued me, why a rifle? Was it because Gavin had sold his uncle out as a gunrunner to Morelli? I know that when she first found them they were in a warehouse full of crates with guns inside. I passed the paper to Tank who I knew from his expression couldn't add anything else and was resigned that we still had nothing when Santos snatched it from Tank and stood looking at it.

"Shit I think she's almost telling us where she is"  
"What?"  
"Well Gavin and Morelli are from the same family aren't they?"  
"Yes, so?"  
"Well didn't Steph say that cabin was in his family"

"That was Gavin not Connor, Connor wouldn't know about it"  
"No, but if I'm seeing what Steph is implying, Gavin and Connor are old friends, comrades in how they behave. I bet Gavin took Connor there to try out the hunting and the man who sent those messages to Christian was a hunter"

I felt the adrenaline begin to flow in my blood as I clutched onto what Santos was saying, it was a viable place to start looking and if she wasn't there then we wouldn't lose anything from trying, it was time to get the men together and go check it out.

"Okay let's plan out how we approach the place and how we get Steph out if she's there'

"You want the Israelis in on this?"  
"No, I know how we work as a team"  
"Good, because I don't like them"

I looked at Santos as he said that not wanting to respond, we didn't have time to spend discussing the likes and dislikes of another team.

"Who do you want Ranger?"

"You two, Hector, Ram, Cal, Miguel, Hal and Brown"

"I'll go call them in"  
"Santos you get weapons and equipment together"

I went quickly up stairs and found some warm clothes for Steph and pulled out my vest and more ammo; that done I was back downstairs to find some men already there, those who lived in the building.

"Hector, maps and plans"  
"Ram, comm units"  
"Cal, vehicles"

"Brown"  
"I know full medic bag"

Within thirty minutes we were studying the maps that Hector had found and with what Santos remembered having visited the area we started to put together how we would approach the place.

I was squatted down at a point a hundred yards away from the cabin with Hector next to me. Tank and Hal were to be at a point north of the cabin while Cal and Miguel were to the south. I asked Brown to hold back in case we needed any medical attention, no point in the medic being hurt unnecessarily. Santos and Ram were going to be coming in down the road that was basically in a westerly direction, their job would be to disable any vehicles in front of the cabin. The first part of this operation though was surveillance, work out how many and where they were. As I used the infrared goggles I could see the heat from a body inside the cabin, laid down so I hoped that this was Steph, she was still alive but she hadn't moved since we'd got there.

"One in a tent to the north"  
"One in the car, but he's awake sat in the front passenger seat"

"Hector and I are going to go in to the cabin through the door on the east wall of the building, reduce your positions to fifty yards and keep me updated of any movement"

Hector and I silently moved through the undergrowth and trees always vigilant of anyone approaching the cabin, when we were ten yards away we stopped, still hidden within the undergrowth.

"We're ready to open the door, any movement?"  
"Negative"  
"Negative"  
"Negative"

As we approached the door I was pleased to see that it held an old fashioned lock that used a key, I just hoped there were no internal bolts inside. The only problem with a lock like this was the noise it would make when the pick tumbled the internal mechanism. I had just started to maneuver the metal in the door when I heard Santos over the comm unit in my ear.  
"Man in car is moving, he's getting out and walking toward the front door"

I watched as the heat from his body appeared inside the cabin and as he walked over toward the bed where I assumed Steph was. I held my breath as he bent over her and saw his arm move out to touch her. Even I was surprised when Steph's arm came out from her body and her feet made contact with his stomach, he staggered back and then bent down seeming to be pulling hard on something. Steph didn't make a sound as her body suddenly landed on the floor and she started moving toward him, trying desperately to stop the movement by grabbing out at anything. He moved to bend down next to her and it was then that I saw movement as his arm and probably fist came down on her head. Dam him for hurting her, I had to get in and felt the lock tumble.

"All teams move in"

As I entered the door I went straight for Connor, his head whipping round as he realized I was there, I ploughed into his body to move him away from Steph and knew that Hector would keep her safe. On the floor he tried to punch out at me, but I veered to the left and turning and ducking down brought my foot up into his chest. to give him due he took the kick and soon recovered bringing a fist into my gut. I think he thought he could out maneuver me but I was too quick and agile for him, I knew I was delaying ending this fight because I really did want to beat the shit out of him.

"Ranger, stop playing, Estefania she need you"  
That's all it took before I threw a punch to his head knocked him out cold. Tank came through the door and nodded to me and took over by hog-tying the man on the floor. I turned to Steph as Hector picked her up and placed her on the bed and as he worked on the lock on the shackle on her ankle I pulled her to me, felt her warmth and calmed.

"Brown, cabin"

As Brown checked Steph over I heard her trying to talk.

"Is Ranger okay, you need to check him as well"  
"He's fine Bomber but he's worried about you, let me check you over okay?"  
I watched as Brown looked at her head and checked her cheek and as he nodded at me I moved to sit down with her crawling onto my knee. As I pulled her head to my chest I saw Brown frown, now what, had Connor done something else to her?  
"Bomber how did you hurt your neck?"  
"I'm not sure, I thought at first he'd used a stun gun but the pain felt more like he'd hit me with something sharp"  
"Hold still while I take something out"  
"What is it?"  
"Seems he must have managed to hit right onto your tracker Bomber"  
"Is that what hurt so much?"  
"Probably, I'll have to take out the pieces and clean this up back at Rangeman"

I felt her snuggle into me and breathe in deeply before letting it out.

"Did you get them both?"  
"Yes, Connor and Gavin"

"I thought I recognized his voice"

"He was outside asleep in a tent"  
"The vial?"  
"Still looking for it"  
"He wanted to sell the virus to the highest bidder and then have people bid on me as the cure"  
"Not going to happen Babe"  
"What are we going to do with them?"  
"Turn them in, as soon as we have the vial then I think we have all of our answers"  
"Maybe"  
"You want me to hang onto them for a while?"  
"Please, something Connor said, I want, no I need to understand"  
As I stood I lifted her with me, the men were taking the two prisoners back to Rangeman and Santos and Bobby were waiting outside next to a black SUV. Their SUV would be taken to another garage and stripped while Hector went through the phones and laptops they'd found. Maybe Steph was right, maybe there were things we needed to fully complete and analyze before really closing this case. As we made our way back to Rangeman and I felt her relax and fall asleep I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have a woman like her believe in me and love me.

Once back home, yeah I could think as this place as home with Steph with me, Brown dealt with the shattered tracker in her neck, she never even woke up.

"You know I suppose we should have expected it"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well when has anything gone as we planned with Bomber?"  
"Plan for the unexpected, that's what we had drilled into us, but hell she could take any situation and we'd never be prepared for what might happen"

"I know what you mean Ranger, but that's what makes her so unique"

"I know Brown"

I took her upstairs to our bed and reverently laid her down, the marks on her face didn't detract from how I saw her, her hair spread around her face like the angel that she was to me.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

I watched as Steph began to wake and knew she'd be hurting this morning, as her eyes came open I smiled down at her.

"Hey, how you feeling?"  
She didn't answer but gladly took the tablets with the water I handed to her. I watched as she closed her eyes and then she surprised me when she slowly sat up and started to get out of the bed.

"You mind if I shower first?"  
"No, you need any help?"  
"No, not this morning"  
There was something different about her voice, almost as if she was annoyed, but I couldn't think what it could be. I dressed quickly having showered the night before deciding I needed to sort out what the hell was wrong with her. I watched as she dressed in a Rangeman uniform, even down to her underwear, well at least maybe she wasn't annoyed at me if she was still voluntarily putting it on. Her face was set in what I saw as being resigned but there was also a determination in the way she was moving.

"Babe, what's wrong?"  
"I have someone I need to talk to"  
"Babe, not anyone in the cells?"  
"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere near there, yet"  
She didn't stop in the kitchen instead walked out of the apartment, she even took the stairs, hell she was on a mission and I hadn't a clue what the hell had got into her, but made sure I stayed with her. At five I followed as she walked into the conference room each man stopping what they were doing as she entered. Even Santos could tell something was wrong.

"Beautiful, you okay?"  
No response came from her, instead we all watched as she walked up to Roda. I had to admit Roda looked worried but then when Steph got mad it was wise not to be in her line of fire. What no one expected was the hard, firm loud slap as Steph's hand hit her face.

"You double crossing, turn coat, traitorous bitch. How can you stand in here and pretend?"

I saw Mo move but caught his arm; if Steph had said that then she was obviously sure of herself.

"You lied to everyone, your brother, Mo, me your country, for what, that piece of scum Connor? Was it worth it Roda, he promise you the moon?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about"  
"No? Oh come on Roda, how many lies can you come up with?"  
"Lies, since when have I lied?"  
"Ben knew didn't he, but then he didn't know that his sister had been killed did he until it was too late?"  
"Ben? What are talking about?"

"Ben trusted you and you played on his conscience, made him blame himself"

"Why would I do that?"

"Oh come on Roda it's over, he's not going to be running away with you"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Hell I bet that baby you're carrying is his isn't it?"  
"You don't know what you're saying"  
"How about if I said found him, and he told me all about this stupid bitch who'll do anything he asks and how he's real fed up of her and needs to find someone new"  
"Why you interfering . . , he wouldn't say that, he loves me"  
"I rest my case Roda, you have to be one of the craziest, most manipulative, selfish, two faced bitch I've ever come across"

I did not see that coming, I mean we'd been through a roller coaster with her already and we all believed the web of lies that she's spun around us. One look at Mo and I knew he was half mad and half heartbroken. I nodded to Tank who moved toward Roda willing Steph to move out of the way; the knife that appeared in Roda's hand had Tank stop in his tracks, a knife that was inches from Steph's stomach.

"Go on, make a move, I would love to finish her off, every move she's wrecked, we worked so hard to make it work, why the hell couldn't you just have done what you were supposed to do"

I heard the click of the safety catch being released then saw the gun touching Roda's head, hell it was my gun that was supposed to be inside the cabinet by the bed, how the hell hadn't I seen what had upset her and why didn't she talk to me first?

"I think a bullet is faster than a knife, make my day Roda because I am so pissed off with what you are, I trusted you as a friend"  
Tank had now moved behind Roda and I moved behind Steph, Tank moved quickly and soon disarmed Roda and was cuffing her as I folded my hands over the gun Steph was holding I took the gun from Steph re engaging the safety and turned her into me. She started to shake violently as I held her in my arms.

"Babe, why didn't you tell me?"  
"I was so mad, so angry with her"

I looked up as Mo approached us not sure what he would do, I couldn't understand how Roda had even been in the area as what Steph had said began to take on a form in my thoughts.

"Mo I thought you only arrived here a few days ago"  
"No we came in separately, Roda left first saying the route she was taking would take longer"

"So she wasn't with you when I called to tell you about Ben and Steph?"  
"No, she'd been gone a couple of days to travel across to London, Elon left the day after so Nadav and I decided to travel together when we heard your news"  
"Why split up?"  
"Intel that we had someone tracking us"  
"I suppose it was Roda that found that Intel?"  
"Shit Ranger, I can't cope with this, give me some space will you, I'll catch up with you later"  
"Roda?"  
"You've got cells here, maybe I'll go talk to her, I don't know how to feel at the moment"  
As I'd spoken with Mo I was slowly rocking Steph to and fro, hell she had kept that locked up tight since Connor had told her, how she managed to control herself was beyond me, that she did though made me so proud of her. I looked at Elon and Nadav, I wasn't really sure of what to say to them, we'd all been chasing illusions for the past two months, and the one responsible had been one of them all of the time. I knew it would just about break me if someone close did that to me. Nadav and Elon were quietly talking, and the room began to empty, Tank had removed Roda and Mo had left. I looked at Santos seeing the same confusion and anger that I felt but at this moment I knew that my Babe needed me, needed care and comfort to deal with what had just happened. I lifted her in my arms feeling her tears soak into my shirt, she was hurting because the knowledge that someone she cared for had betrayed her and us would be so very hard for her to deal with. The only place where I could show her how much I cared was within the privacy of our apartment, there I hoped she would open up her emotions to me. Once seated on the couch in the quiet of the apartment I waited, slowly rocking her and showing her I was there for her, I knew when she ready she would talk.

"I hated what she'd done"  
"I know Babe, I know how hard it is when someone betrays you"  
"How could she do everything she did and live with herself?"  
"She was in love Babe and sometimes people will do anything for someone they love"  
"But Elon, she nearly destroyed him"  
"Babe I think she lost all compassion when she left home and became entrenched with Connor"

"But how could she help him when so many people could have died?"  
"Maybe because she was emotionally distanced from the truth of what could happen"

"Connor is so damaged, I can see the pain he's had to endure"  
"Babe everyone has choices to make and he chose to let that pain devour him"

Her head lifted from my chest and as her damp eyes looked into mine all I could see was the pain and anguish she was carrying.  
"Ranger make love to me, I need to feel our love"

"For you Babe I'll do anything to take the pain away"

As I carried her to the bedroom my mouth came down on hers feeling all the pent up emotion as she responded, she was fierce as her mouth and hands explored me, so I would reciprocate by being hard and fast and then be slow and tender to show her just how much she was loved.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

SPOV

As I lay half over Ranger I couldn't believe how extreme I'd been when we'd first made love, I winced as I looked over his chest and saw the red marks from my nails and the bites around his neck, but oh god how I needed it, needed the raw passion of us coming together. That he knew what I needed and how always surprised me, the madness and violence had consumed me taking away my anger and confusion and as he then continued by being so gentle and caring the feeling of love and calmness overtook it. I lifted my head to his deep brown eyes watching me intently bringing back that feeling of guilt that I had maybe hurt him. I tried to look away but his hand on my face wouldn't let me.

"We both needed that and you didn't hurt me"

"I didn't mean to be so demanding"  
"Babe I know how it feels to be consumed with a need like that"

"I think you'll find you have a few marks on your skin as well"

I laughed as that thought struck me, hell I didn't know I had it in me, that was definitely a first for me and that I trusted him as he responded to my frenzied moves truly showed me just how much I loved him.

"Why don't we go get showered"  
"Mmm, I'm not sure I can move"  
"How's your head feeling?"  
"No pain"

He laughed as he swatted my backside and we walked naked into the bathroom. That was a first for me as well; normally I'd feel embarrassed at my nakedness, but no more. I was squeaky clean and humming as we emerged, a relaxed feeling of euphoria enveloping me, but I knew it would all coming crashing down too soon and reality would kick in, the consequences of what had happened would need to be faced. Dressed in jeans and a sweater I was tidying up our late breakfast things, well lunch I suppose, Ranger was in the bedroom when there was a knock on the door. I opened it up to see Mo standing there so let him pass me, assuming it was Ranger he needed to see. I wasn't too sure I could cope with how he might feel about me;, he'd probably hate me now after what I'd done. I stood awkwardly by the kitchen unit, not daring to look him in the face and was taken by surprise when he simply walked up to me and held me in his arms.

"Steph, it wasn't your fault. Hell I was too blind to see what she was doing. You did real good, with everything you've been through"  
I know I was crying and felt his tears on my face but as he stood back a hand still on my shoulder he wiped away his and in a motion not dissimilar to Ranger he wiped a thumb beneath my eyes.

"Elon and I have been talking, we'd like to speak with her before we decide what to do"  
"I understand"  
"I know Ranger has cameras in the cells so I'm here to ask that he doesn't record it, but if the two of you want to hear what is said then that's okay with us. We all need some closure from this and maybe some answers"  
I watched as he turned and left the apartment seeing Ranger lent against the doorframe of the bedroom.

"Do you want to do that Babe?"  
"I'm not sure, what they have to say is personal"  
"Maybe, but it may give an understanding as to why she did what she did"  
"Okay, but somewhere private"  
"We can use the computer in the office up here"

I was so nervous as I settled down to watch what was going to happen in that cell. I was sat across Ranger's knee, my arm round his waist, drawing strength from him. We watched as Mo and Elon went into the room, the door sliding closed behind them. Roda wasn't in cuffs or shackled, she simply stayed sat on the chair as the men walked in, I couldn't tell if she was surprised or had been expecting them. Her hands were locked together on top of the table and she looked sad, if that was what I was seeing.

"Thanks for coming to see me"  
"Roda you're my baby sister, I would always come"  
"I'm not a baby anymore Elon, I grew up too fast and now it's too late for you to try and protect me. When I left home I changed into someone you wouldn't know or probably like"  
"How did that happen?"  
"I don't know, I was so angry after Mama died and you were suffocating me, I had to get out and find myself"  
"Connor?"  
"I didn't meet him till a few years later, I was full of hate and anger, Mama, you and myself. I'd joined the army by then but I still met up with the people I'd been with. They had a charisma for what they believed in and in some ways they became my lifeline. In some ways we were so alike, like lost souls who found solace together. I fell in love with him and didn't care what he did and as the relationship developed I would do anything for him. I made sure his name didn't come up as someone who was running weapons but then he said that he was stopping, he wanted a life with me but to do that he had one last job to do. I'd already joined up with your team and I thought if I just did things in the background, no harm done. I didn't know what Nicolini was up to, but Connor said he was a means to the end so I went along. What he did to Steph though hit me hard, I had to get her out before he broke her and killed her. I didn't want her blood on my hands. The injection, I didn't realize what it was until after I'd agreed to do it. I really didn't think it was that harmful, that it could have caused so much damage or so much death, you have to believe me. Ben, well he was always hanging around me, he must have known I'd given her an injection but he didn't know what it was. Then when you said he'd disappeared I got worried, I didn't know about that girl that was killed, so I came here to find him. Hell he was so worked up and so full of guilt. He thought he should have stopped me, done something about it so I just played up his guilt. You know how he was to blame for being so indecisive; he was the unit commander who couldn't make a decision and got his men killed, so I used that. That he tried to kill Steph took me by surprise and when he killed himself Connor talked me round by saying it was for the best"

"Roda he would have infected everyone on the boat, you as well"

"We were supposed to head back to Israel and I would have disappeared, she would have passed on the virus and been the ultimate weapon. As it was Connor was just as happy for her to go back to the States"

"Was terrorism what motivated him?"

"Oh no, he wanted to take advantage of the outcome, he still had a vial so could sell it to the highest bidder, I don't think he cared if it happened in Israel or America, the effect would have been the same"

"The woman who broke into here?"  
"I paid her, she was a high class pro, she didn't have anything to do with it, Connor needed to get Steph out of the building but didn't count on Ben getting to her first"  
"Roda, did you ever love me?"  
"Yes Mo. You were a rock that I so desperately needed, but not solid enough to dull the love I had for Connor"  
"The pregnancy?"  
"No, a lie, I couldn't face seeing Steph and what I had done to her or to Ranger. But I knew I had to get Connor's plan to work, I'm so sorry Elon for talking you into that, I hated myself afterwards for doing it"

"Roda I don't know what to do"  
"When all that's left is love"

"Are you sure Roda?"  
"Very sure Elon"

I watched as the two men both hugged Roda and then turned and walked from the room, Ranger killed the video feed, there was nothing more to hear but I felt a dull ache as I thought of what could now happen to her. I was brought back to the present by a soft kiss on my forehead and the touch of Ranger's fingers running down my cheek.

"I have to meet up with the men to and find out what they found at the cabin, do you want to be there?"  
"Yes, please"  
I needed to move on from thinking of Roda, to move on with my life and to do that there were things I wanted to know. I hadn't realized just how many men were involved in coming to my rescue until I saw them all sat around the conference table. Each stood and in turn gave me a sign of just how much they cared. Everyone got my thanks and I little more love from me, I felt so humbled that they would have helped rescue me and knew I had tears in my eyes. Once seated I could see their expressions change, serious faces that meant they'd discovered things that had belonged to Gavin and Connor, well I hoped that was the case.

"Hector"

"The laptop had two sites in the black web that were taking bids. One was for the virus and the second was for the cure. I have to say very few were interested in obtaining the virus but many more had bid into the millions for the cure"

"Pharmaceutical companies would make a fortune by patenting it"  
"How was he going to sell the cure?"  
I didn't realize that the cure would be so much in demand and was worried if anyone discovered it was me then my life could be even more dangerous than before.

"Me, he thought because I had some immunity to it I would provide who ever bid the highest with the answer"

"Well they're too late Bomber, we've done a lot of work at the institute. Christian came in, he wanted us to know that he'd reduced the viral content in the vial and had swapped it out for a benign strain"  
"So I was never in any danger?"

"No Bomber, but your body did make the antibodies to what was there and Jackson is very hopeful that this new direction of research could produce a vaccine. He's agreed to letting Christian work there, within strict security and Christian has been in touch with Chloe's parents"

"Now that is definitely something to be happy about, but what of the vial that Connor had?"  
"Ram"  
"He had an armored box in the trunk of the car, hidden below the carpeting. The box was sent to the institute where it's been placed inside their secure vault"  
"Tank is Connor talking?"  
"No, he's unstable. A lot of anger and resentment aimed at his stepfather and a father he never knew. The behavior he displayed as a child, adult and time in the army indicate he's a real psychopath. The only glimmer of humanity in him is for Roda"

"Cal, how is Gavin behaving?"  
"Oh he's jumping up and down saying he's protected by the police and FBI, reckons he was working undercover for them"  
"Does anyone have anything to add or ask that would be pertinent to this case?"

Tank looked at Ranger, maybe he would ask the question we all wanted to know, what would happen to the people locked up in the cells.

"What are we doing with these people in the cells?"

I looked to Ranger because I really didn't know how he would deal with them, in my own mind I felt little compassion for them, but knew that whatever decision he made I would be happy with that.

"Mo and his team are taking Roda back to Israel, what happens there I have no idea. Connor and Gavin will be handed over to Homeland and charged with treason, we have enough evidence to have them convicted and locked away for life"

Each man nodded his head as Ranger said that, and in my heart I knew what he was suggesting was the right thing to do. I know he never mentioned Nicolini and I didn't want to ask, but I didn't want his blood on Ranger's hands, was there another way, I didn't know. The meeting hadn't quite finished so I was surprised when a Rangeman walked in carrying an envelope, he handed it to Ranger who frowned at the writing on the outside.

"Sir the team just left and asked for that to be delivered straight away"

I saw Ranger tap the corner of the envelope on the table and then he looked at me, for some reason I didn't think I was going to like this and I didn't think Ranger wanted to give me the envelope. After a very long minute he handed me the envelope and then placed his arm around my shoulder. My name was written on the front in beautiful script writing. Carefully opening it I pulled out a sheet of folded white paper and silently began to read.

When I die  
If you need to weep  
Cry for someone  
Walking the street beside you.  
You can love me most by letting  
Hands touch hands, and  
Souls touch souls.  
You can love me most by  
Sharing your Simchas (goodness) and  
Multiplying your Mitzvot (acts of kindness).  
You can love me most by  
Letting me live in your eyes  
And not on your mind.  
And when you say Kaddish for me  
Remember what our  
Torah teaches,  
Love doesn't die: people do.  
So when all that's left of me is love  
Give me away.

Connor called you his

"Angel of Death"

I call you my

"Angel of Salvation"

"le-hee-pah-REHD"

Until we meet again.

Roda

I had to read the writing twice before I started to understand the true meaning of what Roda had written and when I did I dropped it onto the table. The envelope fell from my hand landing heavily on the table, surprised I tipped it up and laid in front of me was the necklace of the angel that Ranger had given to me. I just sat there looking at it, thinking of what Roda had asked of Elon and Mo, did it represent death as that seemed to be all around me or salvation as Roda suggested. Without looking at anyone or saying anything I headed for the stairs, maybe if I could wipe my mind of these thoughts they hadn't happened, but I knew denial wasn't going to help me out here. I found my self outside the gym, which was a strange place for me to come to voluntarily, but walking into the vast quiet area I knew what I wanted to do. There was no one down here at this time of day, no one to ask me if I was feeling okay, no one to say that everything was going to be all right and no one to tell me it was all my fault or that I shouldn't be there, so I walked across the dark cold floor until I was in front of a punching bag. I had absolutely no experience with one of these things but I'd punched at people before now, so that's what I did. I pictured all the people who'd caused me or mine harm. The faces of Morelli and Nicolini, Gavin and Connor and even Ben and Roda, Annis and Bella and finally my mother passed in front of my eyes as renewed feelings cursed through me. I didn't feel any physical pain only the pain in my heart and head as I continued to punch, my tears obliterating what was actually in front of me. I couldn't stop; I didn't want to and fought like a wild animal against the demons inside of me.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

RPOV

I didn't want to hand over the envelope to Steph, but she wouldn't appreciate me from stopping her. I saw her eyes scanning the letter in side and then as her eyes moved back to the top to reread it. Her eyes were large as if what she was reading shocked her and slowly I saw an understanding come to her. I heard the sound of metal on the table and the necklace I'd given to her laid there, she just looked at it, as if it might burn her and then she pushed her chair away from the table and quickly walked out of the room. I needed to know what had caused her mood to change so suddenly so picked up the letter and quickly read it, shit when Roda had said "When all that's left is love" to Elon she was asking for a way to end her life. I looked at Santos as he answered his phone seeing concern in his eyes.

"Monitors, they say you need to get down to the gym now"

"Steph?"

He nodded as we rose from the table but surprised me when he tapped Brown on the shoulder.

I couldn't even come up with a reason for Steph to be in the gym, I mean she hated the idea of exercise but the fact that the men on monitors felt I needed to be there unnerved me, what the hell was going on? Was she hurt, had she been attacked? We took the stairs at a run and burst through the gym doors to hear a thudding coming from across the room. As I approached I saw Steph punching at the bag, her hands held tightly into fists pounding at it, that she wasn't hitting it overly hard or with the right technique didn't matter, her knuckles were covered in blood and tears were streaming down her face, but she wasn't slowing down.

"Babe"  
"Babe you need to stop now"

Either she didn't hear me or she couldn't and I was hedging on the latter, Her eyes weren't seeing and she wasn't hearing, she was caught in a red haze of anger, grief and guilt, something too many of us had experience of.

"Brown, bring your bag"

As I stepped behind her trying to pull her away from the bag she surprised me with how she moved, avoiding me and pushing against me. I had to literally wrap my arms around her and physical lift her from in front of the bag. That wasn't sufficient to calm her down, she was still fighting an invisible enemy with arms and now legs. I was grateful as Brown appeared and pulled a syringe from his bag and watched as he pulled the top off willing him to just to hurry up. Santos held her arm as I continued to hold my arms around her and felt my heart rate starting to slow as Steph's movement began to fade until I felt her go limp against me.

"Shit Ranger what the hell caused her to do that?"  
"Roda sent her a letter, she asked Elon for a way out"  
"Suicide?"  
"Most likely"  
"Shit"  
"Brown check her hands while she's out"  
"Infirmary"

I was sat in a chair next to the bed, just watching my Babe sleep. Her hands had been cleaned up and Brown had stitched some cuts and applied cream to the bruising. Hell with the bruises on her face and the swelling on her hands she looked more like a boxer, a fighter and maybe that's what she was, a true fighter, one who would do anything to save other people, an angel of salvation because that's exactly what she was to me, my salvation, she had offered through her open heart my deliverance from sin and its consequences. Right now though I was going to be her protector from all the emotional turmoil she was inflicting on herself. Brown had said she would be sedated for about an hour and as the hour turned to two I recognized the signs that she was slowly waking up. The lights were low as I slipped onto the bed beside her, carefully pulling her to my side, when she fully woke I needed her to know I was with her and would support her. Her eyelids flickered and slowly I could see those beautiful blue eyes, still dim and lacking her usual sparkle but that would return in time and with careful nurturing.

"What happened?"  
"You got yourself into a real state"  
"I lost it"  
"Yeah Babe, you really did"  
"Shit, I'm sorry"  
"No need to be, maybe I need to teach you how to punch a bag though"  
I saw her looking at the hand laid over my chest.

"Is that why I have these on?"  
"You scared me Babe, I was worried about you"

"I didn't mean to, I just couldn't stop once I'd started"  
"Tell me who did you see when you were hitting the bag?"

As she drew in her bottom lip between her teeth and tried to look down my thumb instinctively pulled it out and raised her chin so her face was back looking at me.

"I know how it feels and how seeing those faces can get you mad"  
"Nicolini and Gavin and then Morelli and Connor. But I think I was more upset with Roda than annoyed and that made me think of my mother"

"Nicolini will never bother you again, you never have to be afraid of him"  
"Did you, have you?"  
"No. Not me. I left him at that warehouse where this all started and let it be known to those street thugs who hadn't been paid that he was there"

"So he didn't make it out?"  
"Only as he floated down the river"  
"I can live with that, I just didn't want you to have to"  
"I know"  
"I know Connor and Gavin will be dealt with. I feel so guilty for Roda, I just don't know how else to feel"  
"She made her choices Babe, she could have broken away from Connor or even tried to help him overcome his mental illness. I think the only way out that she could deal with was by ending it all and maybe for her that was better than what could have happened back in Israel. She'd hurt too many people too much to rebuild again"

"I need to get back to Morelli"  
"I agree and we'll do that together. That leaves your mother. Maybe by holding out the olive branch she may change her ways but if she doesn't then again it would be her choice not yours that re enforced the damage she's done"  
"How did you get to be so wise?"  
"I've probably made similar mistakes with how I saw people so may have some experience of how to handle a situation"

"I'm stopping you from working aren't I?"  
"I just have my report to finish"  
"Would you do something for me?"  
"Anything"

"Could we write a complementary report that names people and shows feelings?"  
"Why would you want to do that?"  
"Because I feel that this report, this story needs some humanity included to emphasize the emotions of the people involved and how the actions of these people intertwined"  
"Would that include you as well?"  
"I think so"  
"Then that's what we'll do"

"I need to find the brother"

"Problem solved, Philip, who is Morelli's uncle walked him into court this morning. I think Morelli's side of the family is disgusted with the Nicolinis and have now disowned them"

"Maybe Morelli is keeping to his agreement"

"You must be hungry, I'll get Ella to bring up something to eat"

As I got up I was relieved to see that Steph seemed less worried and as I went through to the kitchen to call Ella I heard the shower going. By the time Steph came through I had us both bowls of a chicken curry, filled with vegetables, and brown rice and had set up places for us to eat at the dining table. I poured a glass of white wine for each of us, but it was as I watched her hand lift the glass that I noticed her ring was missing. Why wasn't she wearing it, was she having second thoughts, did I ask? As if she was aware of where I'd looked she lifted her hand and frowned.

"Shit Ella must still have my ring"

"Why would she have it?"  
"When she was covering me in makeup she was worried some would embed into the settings"  
"Don't worry I'll ask her for it"

With that detail out of the way it gave me pause for thought, maybe I could do something special for when I gave it back to her, the occasion I'd given her the ring hadn't exactly been romantic. Once we'd finished I cleared away the bowls, Steph had eaten a good amount but I'm sure with the pain from her face and hands, not forgetting that Brown had given her a sedative, it was a reasonable amount. As I returned to the table I placed another bowl in front of her, Ella would always spoil her when she could and given the events of the day I was pleased to see her smile appear as she spied the chocolate cake in front of her.

"I thought maybe I'd talk to my Dad later"  
"Sounds like a good idea, then how about we just relax and watch a film?"  
"Yeah, I could do that"

So that's exactly what we did, as I tidied the kitchen and showered I left Steph to talk to her father. Then with both of us dressed in joggers and T-shirts I settled her next to me on the couch as I flicked through the channels to find a film both of us might like. As the film progressed I found myself constantly touching her, a finger twirling a curl or a hand gently rubbing her arm. When the credits started I felt the need to share that with her.

"I enjoy being like this with you"

"You sound surprised"  
"Not something I would usually do"  
"I like it too, just being close to you and feeling your touch"  
"Maybe we should do this more often"  
"Really?"  
"Yeah, Babe, really"

I thought as we'd started to talk she might say something about her conversation with her father; to be honest I was slightly worried that it hadn't gone as well as she wanted.

"I'm gonna head to bed, I suddenly feel really tired"  
"Don't forget the painkillers Brown gave you"  
"They in the bedroom?"  
I nodded and watched her fetch a bottle of water on her way through.

"Babe I need to check down on five so won't be long"

I didn't need to check on five and went down to six instead suddenly feeling nervous about asking Ella for Steph's ring. Not long after knocking Elle opened the door and ushered me inside.

"How's Stephanie doing?"  
"Much better"  
"Good, the things that girl has gone through, well let's just say I'm surprised she's lasted as long as she has before having a breakdown"  
"Well this case we're on seems to be all tied up so she can relax a bit now"  
"So what are you after Carlos?"  
"I came to collect Steph's ring, I didn't realize you had it"  
"What are you planning, because I don't want to hear that you just handed it back to her"  
"No, I was going to take her to the beach house for the weekend"  
"That sounds reasonable, I'll make sure it's clean and there are supplies for you"  
"Thank you Ella"

With that decided I sent a message to Tank telling him I'd be offline over the weekend and headed back to seven. I found Steph fast asleep so was content to join her.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

SPOV

I think because I'd slept so much I woke real early and wanting to do something special for Ranger was sneaky and managed to turn his alarm off before it woke him. As I left the bedroom and looked back I couldn't get over how he hadn't woken up, normally the slightest movement I made would wake him. I'd left some clothes in the hall way closet last night when he'd gone to five so now I dressed in jeans and a simple blue sweater then opened the door to the apartment really quietly. I'd managed to catch Ella last night as well and she was going to help me prepare a breakfast for Ranger, breakfast in bed, no less. Ella removed the bandages from my hands making it much easier to pick things up, in fact the swelling was already going down and the cuts didn't look as bad as they had. We decided that omelet with peppers, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and spinach would be something he would like so I was now heading into the apartment carrying a tray with the omelet, orange juice and a coffee on it. I was so pleased to see him still asleep especially as it was nearly 7 in the morning. I nudged the bedroom door open with my hip and carefully placed the tray on the table next to the bed.

"Babe what are you up to?"  
"Shit, you scared me, I thought you were still asleep"  
"No I just woke up, what are you up to, why are you up?"  
"Sit up and you'll find out"  
As he sat up against the headboard I gently lowered the tray onto his knee and knelt on the floor with my arms on the bed watching him.

"No one's ever brought me breakfast in bed, it looks good Babe"  
"Well you deserve it and I wanted to surprise you"

"You have. I'd like to take you to the beach house this weekend, you okay with that?"  
"Yeah, that would nice, but don't you have work to do at Rangeman?"  
"No, we need a break and then on Monday we can close off those reports"  
"Okay, I have a few things to do today"  
"Do you need company?"

"I don't think so"  
"What you planning on Babe?"  
"I agreed to meet my Dad for lunch at Pinos, and I probably should check out my apartment"  
"Babe would you take a panic button with you?"  
"I should be fine, you said everyone was out of the way now"

"I know, but I've been so used to having you with me, I'd feel less worried"  
I could work with that after all I might feel the same once I was out on my own.

"Hector has a phone for you down in his office, I think you're car's in the garage, but you could always take one of the SUVs"  
"My car will be fine"  
I watched as he finished his breakfast and was drinking his coffee so went through to make one for myself. I found a bag and started to put things inside of it, noticing that a key fob was back on the ring with my keys. As Ranger came through, already dressed I picked up a coat so we could leave together. Ranger stood behind me as we went down in the lift, he got off at five while I went down to three to stop off at Hector's.

"Buenos días Hector"

"Buenos días Estefania"  
"Ranger said you had a phone for me"

"Si, same number, same apps as the one you had"  
"Gracias"

"De nada"

As it was still early I headed to my apartment first, hell it seemed so long ago since I'd actually been inside. The corridors were quiet and it was too early for Mrs. Bestler but that suited me fine, I didn't really want to talk with anyone this early. As I opened the door and walked in it smelt slightly fusty and there was a layer of dust everywhere, maybe I'd need to spend a few hours going over the surfaces. As I started with wiping down the surfaces I started to think about where I was heading. I mean Ranger had given me a ring and we were definitely in a relationship, a relationship that was going from strength to strength, but those old niggles came back as to where my life was heading. I had this apartment, so would I still live here and maybe sometimes stay on seven? Then I had to get my head back into work, getting back into the routine of collecting the files from the office and bringing in skips. Thoughts of Lula came to my mind, she would expect to partner up with me. Did that mean I'd go back to the same slap dash system that we'd always had? I didn't really want to do that, I think with everything that had happened to me I wasn't too confident of being able to manage. As I finished with the kitchen and took a last look I swore out loud to my self. Rex, I'd forgotten all about Rex, how could I have done that, he'd think I'd abandoned him to Val and the girls. I'd need to arrange with Val to pick him up after the weekend though because Ranger was organizing for us to go to the beach house. I was just sat on the bed having sorted out the bedroom when I jumped at the sound of my phone; hell I'd been so long without one I'd got used to not having one. I immediately recognized the name that came up and smiled.

"Yo"  
"My line Babe"

"Is everything okay?"  
"Yes, I just wanted to hear your voice. Where are you?"  
"Sat in my bedroom"  
"Why you doing that"  
"I've just been tidying up"  
There was a silence from his end of the phone, in fact I wondered if he was still there.

"Ranger?"

"Babe I'd really like it if you were packing your things to come here"  
"Oh?"  
"I don't want to spend a night away from you"  
"So what are you saying?"  
"Come live here"

"Are you ready for that?"  
"I've been ready for a long time Babe"  
I felt myself smile as he said that, but could I do it, could I give up my one place that gave me the security that it was mine and that no matter what happened I could never be homeless again, something the Dick had made me.

"Babe?"  
"I want to say yes"  
"Then say yes, Babe you will always be the only one for me, don't doubt what we have"  
He was right and as I continued to think it through I knew in my heart that it was what I wanted to do. I'd never felt this way about Morelli, which was why I probably never moved in with him, but now it felt right.  
"Yes"  
"Thank you Babe. Why don't you pack what you need and then after the weekend we can sort out the apartment together?"  
"Okay, I don't have a lot here, but I'll bring what I want to keep"  
"Good, have a good lunch with your father"

Then he was gone, dam when would he ever say goodbye, but then when I thought about it maybe him not saying goodbye was better, because I never ever wanted him to say goodbye to me. With a renewed vigor I packed a bag with some underwear and clothes for relaxing in, some gym wear because maybe I did need to learn to punch without hurting myself and set off back down the stairs ready to meet up with my Dad. I parked at the back of Pinos because there were no spaces out front, dam I'd hoped it would be quiet inside I didn't really want people to see me. Then I rethought that, why should I be bothered about people seeing me, I mean okay the bruise on my cheek showed a little, I'd managed to cover most of it up with makeup, but that had resulted from someone else taking advantage of me not because I instigated it. So with my head held high I walked into Pinos seeing my Dad straight away. I ignored anyone else in the room and went straight to the booth he was in, sitting next to him with a view of back of the room.

"Pumpkin, you look good"  
"Thanks Dad, I'm feeling good today"  
"Everything sorted out?"  
"Yeah, the bad guys are all locked up"  
"Glad to hear it, so what are you having, or is that a silly question?"  
"No, I'll go with the meatball subs"  
He ordered the same for both of us, I knew my Dad loved the spices they used here and I also knew my mother would never change her menu from the usual meat roast or bland pasta.

"I'm sorry Pumpkin, I was a bit evasive on the phone but I didn't want anyone to overhear the conversation"  
"Grandma?"  
"No, she's stopping with Mavis at the moment"  
"Why?"

"She heard what your mother had done, that she'd accepted that money from Morelli. Hell she was as mad as hell with her"  
"It wasn't a very nice thing to do Dad"  
"I know, I honestly didn't know anything about that money, hell Pumpkin I was even a bit off with you when I took you to the airport because of what your mother said to me"  
"I don't follow, what had she said to you?"  
"She told me that you had insisted on going and that when you got back you'd be marrying that Morelli"

"I take it you don't like him?"  
"No, but if it had been your decision I would never had said anything"  
"So how is she?"  
"After you left she started drinking and it's getting worse every day. The thing is, it's almost as if because she hasn't heard anything about what's been going on in your life she's getting annoyed"  
"I don't follow what you're getting at"  
"Well with you around she was the center of attention, neighbors phoning with bits of gossip, the idea of planning the wedding everyone in the Burg would talk about"

"So she doesn't have me to warrant anyone talking to her"  
"Exactly, and because she doesn't know what to do she's drinking"

"Is that all I am to her?"  
"I think it's a dependency she's developed, by trying to run your life she was living because of it"  
"So what now?"

"I'd like to get her some help"  
"Will she go?"  
"Maybe if I say she can't see you or talk to you until treatment is being effective"  
"I can go with that, I don't think I could cope talking to her as she is now"

"She does love you Pumpkin, it just got misplaced along the way"

"I wasn't sure of that"  
"Give her a chance and let's hope it works out"  
As our food arrived and we began to eat I remembered what Ranger had said, hold out the olive branch, she may change her ways but if she doesn't then it would be her choice not yours.

Once finished we talked about things in general, Val and how the girls were doing and how Dad actually missed having Grandma living at home, my contribution to the conversation consisted of the places I'd been but not what had happened. It had been the longest time in forever that I'd spent with my Dad and all too soon it was time to leave.

"I missed this"  
"Yeah so did I"  
As he hugged me and kissed me on the cheek he added.

"We need to do this more often"  
"Only so you can eat at Pinos"  
"Well there is that as well"  
"Love you Dad"  
"Love you too Pumpkin, I'll keep in touch"

As he left to go out from the front I left through the back door, I felt really happy with seeing my Dad and to have some sort of way forward with my mother. I opened the car and had just got in, trying to close the door when I felt it being pulled open and Morelli got in pushing me across into the passenger seat.

"No, get out"  
"We need to talk"  
"So talk"  
"Not here"  
I watched as he started the engine then got annoyed as I realized he'd locked the doors, what the hell was wrong with him?  
"Joe you know this isn't right?"  
"I need to be somewhere private"  
"Where are we going?"

He didn't answer and I had visions of the last time he had taken me against my will to somewhere private. I fastened my seat belt then stuck my hands in the pocket of my jacket, I really didn't want to do this but at this moment in time I needed Ranger so pushed the panic button. I was surprised when we started to leave Trenton driving I was sure in a westerly direction. The houses became less frequent and there were fewer cars on the road, I wasn't sure of where we were going until Morelli turned onto a graveled road that led to a large house set in its own grounds.

"Where the hell are we?"  
"Just get inside Cupcake"  
I wanted to run, but when I didn't even move he took my arm and led me up the steps to the front door, what surprised me though was that he didn't knock, he just opened the door and walked right in. The house whilst it must have cost a fortune was actually a bit shabby, carpet that had seen better days ran down the hall and led upstairs. I didn't have time to look any further because I was led into large room that looked to serve as a lounge. As we entered a man stood up, Morelli's uncle Philip. What the hell was going on, because by now I was getting really worried, were Morelli and Philip in with Gavin or worse still Jonas or Demetri?  
"My dear Stephanie, I am so pleased to meet you"  
"Cupcake he's my uncle, Philip"  
"Why bring me here?"  
"I wanted, well Joseph and I wanted to assure you of the measures we've taken following the, err, experiences you've had"  
"You couldn't just tell me?"  
"Zio wanted to be the one who spoke with you"

Zio indicated that I should sit down and then he sat down opposite me, Morelli for some reason decided to stand behind me.

"First Stephanie, something I would like some clarification on"  
"Zio!"

"Be quiet Joseph. Stephanie do you have any intentions of marrying my nephew?"  
"No, none at all"

"Well that seems to be your answer Joseph, so now you need to let her be and move on with your life, do I make myself clear?"  
"Yes Zio, perfectly"  
"Now my dear, Donna and Annis. I know the part they played in deceiving you and your subsequent injuries, however I really can't allow them to be charged and imprisoned so I have a solution which I hope you will agree to"

I wasn't too sure about that but I also knew that to collect enough evidence to charge them would be hard to do, add to that their ages and I'm sure that any judge would let them off lightly. I turned to Philip with a serious face.

"I'm listening"  
"At the moment they are both on Sicily taking a vacation. I have their passports and intend on destroying them meaning they cannot leave the island and can never get back into America. They don't have access to money so can't buy themselves out. Annis's son Demetri is dead, he didn't do well when he tried to outdo some gang members and Dario is now in prison. I'm not sure about Gavin because the FBI and police have lost him"  
"So they're truly stuck there, in exile?"  
"Yes. Will that be enough for you?"  
"Yes it will be"  
"Good now"

His sentence was interrupted as Ranger stepped through the door and made his presence known, Philip looked surprised but Morelli looked annoyed.

"Carlos Manoso, I'm here for Stephanie"  
"Ah, so you are the infamous Ranger"  
Ranger just continued to look at him and then held out his hand to me, I stood walking to him but turned and faced Philip.

"Thank you for dealing with Bella and Donna and acknowledging the wrongs that they were part of"  
"Stephanie I will not condone that sort of behavior from anyone in my family. Is there anything else that you need?"  
I was about to answer by saying no but Rangers hand squeezing mine stopped me and I turned to look at him wondering what the hell he was going to say.

"Morelli you have some graffiti to get cleaned up round Trenton"  
Philip looked at Morelli obviously totally unaware of what Ranger was talking about and then looked at Ranger.

"I'll make sure he does it. I'm leaving the country to return home, but please if you ever need anything don't hesitate to get in touch with me"  
As he said that he handed me a card with a mobile number on it which I pushed into my pocket. Ranger nodded to him, what was it with men who didn't seem to have the need for talking, and I felt myself being turned and with Ranger's hand guiding me at my back we walked out of the door and out to where my car was. Except my car wasn't there, just Ranger's Porsche.

"I had one of the men take it back to Rangeman so we could drive home together"  
I smiled at that, hell how many men had he had with him when my panic button went off? He helped me into the car and I'm sure I moaned and as I sank into the leather and smelt the aroma of leather, Ranger and Bulgari. I loved this car and the feel of the engine as it accelerated away, I'm sure Ranger revved up the engine before shifting gear just to see the expression on my face. It didn't take long to get back to Rangeman and as we went up in the lift it stopped at five and Ranger started to get off.

"Babe I just need to collect some papers from the office"

"That's okay, I'll come with you and you can tell me what happened this afternoon"

"You mean when your alert went out?"  
I nodded and watched as he went to his safe, taking out a file and boxes.

"You mean after fifteen men suited up and met me in the garage?"  
"Fifteen, why fifteen?"  
"They decided they were going to go"  
"Why?"

He came up to me as I sat on the edge of his table and took my face in his hands.

"Because you mean the world to them, they would do anything for you"  
"Oh"

"Babe you give us happiness, you give us a reason to do what we do, my angel"

His lips came down onto mine and my arms went round his neck, hell what he could do to me was way beyond anything I'd ever experienced. As our lips parted and our tongues caressed I locked my legs around his hips, pulling his body as close to me as I could. As our heads moved to change the angle I suddenly stopped and went deadly still.

"Babe what's wrong?"  
"There are two men stood in the doorway in full army uniform smiling at us"


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

RPOV

"Shit"

Why the hell would they be here, hell I'd sent a preliminary report to them and someone had already been to collect Connor and Gavin. I lifted Steph to the floor knowing how embarrassed she'd be but I stood behind her, her back to me knowing I had a certain part of me that needed to calm down.

"I wasn't expecting you gentlemen"  
"Obviously, aren't you going to introduce us"  
"Stephanie this is Colonel David Miller, my handler and Colonel Kempster"  
I watched as Kempster walked up to us and in her true fashion Steph held out her hand, he took it then holding onto it looked into her face, what the hell was he doing?  
"Stephanie, you are an amazing woman to have survived what you have, we're actually here to see you, not him"  
I wasn't too sure what he was working toward but if he thought he could in any way intimidate her then he was in for a surprise. I moved Steph so he had to let go of her hand and then led her to the couch indicating for the two men to follow me.

"Manoso what the hell are you worried about, wer'e here to congratulate her"  
"Me?"  
"Of course"  
"But why?"  
"Because of how you helped solve a riddle that was a threat to not only our National security but also Israel's"

"But it wasn't"  
"Stephanie"  
I watched as Miller sat on the arm next to her and Kempster sat opposite her, they were definitely up to something.

"Stephanie we were most impressed with how you worked with Manoso here, usually he prefers to work alone but we thought maybe together you'd make a good team"  
"No, you know I'm finishing my work with you, I don't want Steph involved nor do I want to sign both our lives away to the government"  
"Stephanie?"  
"I'm with him, I can find enough trouble of my own without you handing me anymore"

They both laughed as I squeezed her hand, there was nothing truer than what she'd told them.

"I thought as much. We wanted to put a face to the name and to give you this"

I watched as Kempster handed her an envelope and saw the faintest worry cross her face, I could see there was something heavy inside and to be honest couldn't work out what it might be. As she tipped the open envelope a medal attached to a ribbon fell out onto her hand.

"We are very proud to award you the Distinguished Public Service Medal to you Stephanie Plum"

The Medal was a gold disc, with a laurel wreath on the lower half of the rim representing non-military service. Superimposed on the disc was a triangle, which symbolized the civilian, along with the eagle. On the reverse of the medal were the words _AWARDED TO_ STEPHANIE PLUM _FOR DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES ARMY_. The medal was suspended from a white ribbon that had thin stripes of white, ultramarine blue, white, and old glory red. I watched as tears formed in her eyes and as the color in her cheeks turned red, cheers came from behind me and stood at the entrance of the room were Santos, Tank, Brown and Ram, I'm sure there were more men outside on the corridor.

"But I"

"Babe, you can't refuse it or give it back, you deserve this, deserve to be acknowledged for what you've done"  
"But there were other people as well"  
"Babe, please accept it, everyone here sees that you deserve it, take it for me and all those who worked with us"

We all watched as Miller passed the ribbon over her head and then everyone came to attention and saluted her, including me. I felt so proud of her, she really did deserve it. At a look from Kempster I knew our weekend was going to have to be postponed he'd want a full report before he would leave.

"Santos can you show these gentlemen to apartments on four and close off the conference room"

I watched as Steph walked round the room, each man she came to gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, there were words said that made her smile and some that had her close to crying. She really was one of us now, she carried the war wounds and scars and now the medal. As I watched her she turned and looked at me, smiling because she knew how proud of her I was.

"Babe I'm sorry but the Colonel wants the report"  
"That's okay, he'll go away with both of them"  
So that's how we spent our weekend but there was the promise that in a weeks time we would get to the house by the beach, I had something important I needed to do and the moment had to be special.

Epilogue

SPOV  
We spent several days putting together our two reports and insisted Miller and the Colonel read them, I think they understood why I'd insisted on my version and I hoped they would see new missions from a different perspective. They still tried their luck at asking us both to maybe do the odd job for them and listening to I'd had a chance to call my Dad and he was optimistic with my mothers approach to counseling, she wanted to get better so maybe there was the hope there of us becoming re acquainted with a better understanding of how to rebuild our relationship.

Most of all though, I was really looking forward to some alone time with Ranger at the house, then he threw a spanner in the plans.

"We need to do a distraction tomorrow night, sorry Babe, I know I said we'd head over to the beach but we'll go Saturday morning and make it a long weekend"  
"Okay, what will I need to wear?"  
Trying to desperately think of what clothes I had up stairs.

"Something classy and sexy. Do you want Ella to sort something out for you?"  
"Nah, I'll call Mary Lou and see if she wants to go to the mall with me"  
After all I still had the rest of that money in my account and seeing as it had been Bell's money I had no feeling of guilt with the idea of spending it, I did feel guilty about Morelli's bike, just for a second though. If it weren't for him being the conduit none of my problems would have happened and let's face it he could claim on his insurance. A quick call to Lou confirmed she was up for some shopping so dressed in jeans and a sweater I took one of the Rangeman cars, it would be the first time I'd been out since Morelli's stupid stunt and I knew Ranger would feel more at ease with me doing that. For once the car park at the mall was quiet and I parked close to the entrance and then arm in arm we headed inside. Lou was unusually quiet, that is until we started to look for dresses.

"This is beautiful Steph"  
"Lou I already have four to try on"  
As I continued to look through the racks, nothing really inspired me until I turned and saw one of those mannequins with a beautiful deep blue dress on. It was a halter neck dress where the straps widened over the bust and then seemed to wrap around the body down to the hips. Below the hips the material flared out being shorter at the front than the back.

"Oh yeah Steph, that's definitely the one"

It certainly was, it fit like a glove and being quite expensive, well for me it was, the assistant assured me it a one off so no one else would have the same dress. In the assistant was ever so helpful, she found me shoes, well FMPs, which were beige with a trim and a bow that matched the dress along with the handbag.

As we sat in the Turbo parked outside what looked like an expensive restaurant just on the outskirts of Trenton I suddenly panicked as I realized I had absolutely no information on who we were going after.

"We're going in as a couple, there's no danger of it being dangerous, in fact I hope it will be a surprise and knowing he's been found will come quietly. I just don't want there to be a big scene"

I waited for Ranger to open my door and holding his hand stood while he fobbed the locks. He looked absolutely gorgeous in his black suit with a tie not too dissimilar to the color of my dress. I expected for us to start walking but instead he pulled me into him.

"So beautiful and sexy and all mine"  
I laughed at his comment but inside I was jumping up and down, yeah and he was all mine as well. The place seemed awfully dark as we entered from a lobby into what must have been the dining area. I could see people sat down at tables but only just and I'm sure the outline of a man at the bar was Tank, come on there can't be many people who looked like him. As we crossed the room Ranger suddenly stopped making my heart do a little flip, shit what had he seen, was something wrong? Then suddenly bright lights came on and we were stood in the center of people stood around us. I heard clapping and various things being said. I turned around seeing a banner against the wall "Stephanie is Wonder Woman" As I turned to Ranger everyone went quiet and there in his hand was the medal I'd been presented with, he put the ribbon over my head, pulling my hair away so it could hang around my neck.

"Valor represents bravery and strength of character, boldness, and fortitude - all qualities that Stephanie has and used in times of need, of challenge, and danger. We are here tonight to celebrate this beautiful and brave woman. Truly my Wonder Woman"

I listened as Ranger said those words and looked at the faces around me, hell I was sure my face could light up a darkened room, I felt so embarrassed to be the center of attention. As the lights dimmed and soft music played in the background I swept up by so many people and heard words that made my heart swell, I wasn't the disaster that I thought I was and even though the events of the past few weeks still troubled me I felt a freedom I'd never had before, yeah I was flying, maybe not physically but certainly mentally.

"So proud of you Pumpkin"  
"White girl you did a great job"  
"You did us proud Beautiful"

Connie and even Vinnie was there, the Chief of Police and Joe Juniak, Eddie and Carl. I worried who was left working at Rangeman because they all seemed to be here, all looking so dam gorgeous in their suits.

"Honey I am so proud to be your friend"  
"You knew didn't you?"  
"Hell yeah, my mission from Ranger was to keep you out shopping and make sure you bought this beautiful dress, You look sexy as hell Honey"  
I hugged Lou as tears threatened my eyes but then as she stepped back took in a breath.

"Cup, sorry Steph. You look beautiful tonight and I'm real proud of you. I'm sorry things didn't work out, I still love you though"

"Wasn't meant to be Joe"  
"I know that now. I'm moving out of the area, going to start out fresh without all the shit from the Burg"  
"Good luck Joe"

"You too"

I knew Ranger was behind me and felt his arms come around my stomach, what expression he was using on Joe I didn't know but whatever it was Joe blanched and turned away walking out of the room and hopefully out of my life forever.

"Good riddance to him. How's my bay girl?"  
"Grandma, I didn't know you were back home"  
"You think I would miss this?"  
"No, just don't make up any stories"  
"Don't need to, hell how many of the woman can say their Grandchild got awarded a medal from the government?"

"I suppose not many"  
"Too right"  
"Where are you living?"

"I'm back home, I'm helping your mother, she's slowly gaining some of her own self worth, a slow process but she seems to be wanting it to happen, she even talked about working at the hospital as an auxiliary, she knows she's too old to qualify as a nurse"  
"Why didn't she do it when she was younger?"  
"She focused her world on Val and you, then Val's kids, maybe now she can claim some self esteem and let herself do something she always wanted to do"  
"Did she know about this?"  
"Your father told her but they both agreed that you and her need time to get re acquainted and build the relationship that you both need"  
"I'd like that"

The evening passed so quickly, the food laid out as a buffet was amazing and seeing as Ella was constantly filling up the plates I knew she was the one responsible. All too soon Ranger suggested we leave, he'd hardly left my side all night but I was okay with that, after all he was still my Batman. I did the usual on the way back home, fell asleep so deeply that I when I woke up it was morning and I was dressed in a T-shirt and panties, the dress hung up on the back of the bedroom door.

"Come on sleepy head, you have a date with me at the beach"

"I smiled at the thought of that and just hoped that nothing interrupted our time there, I was definitely ready for some Ranger time.

The weather was sunny but cool when we arrived so as soon as we'd unpacked the car we made our way down to the beach, I'd never got to see where we were but appreciated the beauty of the place. The tide was on its way in as we walked along the beach, me looking shells in the sand and Ranger staying close to me but carrying the ever increasing number of finds. As we turned to walk back with his arm around me I knew he wanted to talk and for some reason to talk seriously.

"Babe the last few weeks have been hard on you, hell the last few years have as well. When I finish a mission I usually go see a friend of mine to talk through some of the things that have happened, would you come with me?"  
"I don't follow why you'd need me"  
"I think maybe he can help with some of the dreams you have, and maybe support you when you get anxious"

"He's a shrink?"  
I saw him nod his head at me, hell did he think that's what I needed? I started to think through what he was suggesting, I mean I'd always managed before so why was it so different now?

"Babe I know you think you got by before, but if we're together we can be sure to help each other"  
Okay that sounded fair to me and I knew Ranger worried about the nightmares I still had. They weren't as bad at the moment but maybe not having them at all would be better and those dreams did have a way of creeping up on me when I got stressed and knowing me a stress free life wasn't likely.

"Okay"  
"You're sure?"  
"Yeah, I'm better at controlling my life and I'd like to have control over the emotions those dreams bring out in me. Plus you'll be with me"

By the time we reached where the house was the tide was fully in, it was actually getting quite cool and I really needed to warm up.

"Babe, go get showered and changed while light a fire and sort out something to eat"

He steered me straight up a set of stairs that I didn't even know existed and then went into the bedroom to do as he suggested. I spent a while in the shower, washing me and my hair of course but decided to go all out because tonight was going to be for Ranger. Shaved, moisturized and hair that fell in curls I stood in front of may bag that was on the bed. Tonight was all about seducing Ranger so I carefully unpacked my special bundle of new clothes. I don't think even Mary Lou noticed the sexy underwear and silk robe I'd managed to find in my favorite shop when we'd gone to the mall. I only needed some lipstick on, for what I had in mind it would only get ruined and then with some sexy black FMPs to match the lacy underwear and silk robe I carefully and quietly made my way downstairs. As I ascended I could hear music coming from the lounge and came out into a space I hardly recognized. There were candles everywhere with small vases of red roses, the fire was crackling in the hearth and there stood Ranger watching me. He approached me, his hand held out and led me to the center of the room and slowly we began to dance to the music.

"You look so beautiful, the light from the flames make you appear like an angel, my angel"  
I'd seen that he'd changed into dark trousers and a white shirt, the sleeves rolled up and the buttons undone at his neck and I couldn't resist touching that that tempting skin on his chest that was revealed. I was disappointed when he pulled away and looked into my eyes.

"Babe, now is the time and here is the place so I want to do this properly"  
I watched as he bent down on one knee still holding my eyes to his.

"Babe, you are the air that I breathe, the light in my darkness, my salvation for my souls. My angel. Will you marry me?"

In his hand was the ring he'd given to me before, I was honestly starting to doubt what he'd said when he'd originally given it to me, thinking that maybe since I wasn't about to die he'd had second thoughts. I kneeled in front of him, tears in my eyes, but knowing he would want to hear the answer.

"Yes because I couldn't exist without you by my side"


End file.
